FanClash: Real-Time Fantasy Football - Bringing the Excitement of Live Sports to Mobile Gaming
FanClash is a real-time fantasy football game where an unlimited number of players compete against each other for cash prizes. Users pick 4 players before a match and points are gained by player actions in-game, in real-time. The app was designed, built and deployed within 4 months using Flutter.
User Research
Upon obtaining business requirements and running a stakeholder workshop, we promptly began to survey existing customers and customers that use competing products to better understand how they would use our product. We ran qualitative surveys and card sorting sessions as part of our upfront user research.
How often do you currently play fantasy football, and what frustrates you most about existing platforms?
Understanding Current BehaviourPain Point DiscoveryWhen playing fantasy football, do you prefer season-long leagues or daily/weekly contests? Why?
Format PreferencesEngagement Model ResearchWhat's the maximum time you're willing to spend selecting your team before a match?
Time InvestmentUser Commitment AnalysisHave you ever missed out on fantasy football because team selection was too complex or time-consuming?
Barrier IdentificationAccessibility ResearchHow important is real-time scoring to you whilst watching the actual match?
Live EngagementFeature PrioritisationWhat would make you choose one fantasy football app over another?
Competitive AnalysisDifferentiation ResearchHow do you feel about playing against unlimited opponents versus small private leagues?
Competition PreferencesSocial Dynamics StudyWhat information do you need when selecting players for your fantasy team?
Decision MakingInformation ArchitectureHow quickly do you expect to receive your winnings after a match ends?
Payout ExpectationsTrust & SatisfactionWould you prefer a simplified game with just 4 players to select rather than a full 11-player team?
Complexity TestingProduct Validation
User Journeys
Much of the game was based on a previous game by the same company, UltimateFan Live. I drastically simplified the user experience by having fewer screens and fewer actions to undertake. I found that users typically didn't sit through a match on their devices, but would instead pick their phones up for a few short minutes during a match to check-in and use power-ups. As a result of these findings, thus most of the user experience was centred around having simple actions that can be carried out within a few seconds.
Information Architecture
As part of the work for FanClash, it was important for both myself and the devs to have a new high-level understanding of what components would make up the screens.
Myself and the devs decided to work concurrently due to the strict time limits, the information architecture greatly aided them in building out the backend architecture of the app.
For myself, it allowed me to cut out the "fat" from the previous application and see what the bare minimum required on each screen was.
Previous work for Ultimate Fan Live
As mentioned much of FanClash was based on my learnings for a similar product I launched with the company previously, called UltimateFanLive which amassed 1.6M+ downloads between 2014-2016, and 14M gameplays. It was widely used and here is a brief snippet of user reactions playing the game.
Design
The UI was designed in Sketch with abstract being used for version control and feedback from stakeholders. Anima from LaunchPad helped me maintain constraints and stacks in my sketch designs, allowing fast and flexible changes on the fly while maintaining component constraints.
Interaction Design
Animations were created in After Effects and then used both as videos and animated SVGs (Lottie integration). Dynamic text animations were created in after effects.
Rapid Development Process
Working in an agile environment, we delivered a fully functional app from concept to launch in just 4 months. The cross-platform Flutter framework enabled rapid iteration and consistent deployment.
Sprint-Based Development
Two-week sprints with continuous testing and iteration
User Testing
Regular beta testing with football fans for feedback
Performance Optimisation
Ensuring smooth real-time updates even with thousands of concurrent users
Outcome
Successfully Launched in 4 Months
Cross-platform app deployed on iOS and Android
Real-time scoring system with live match integration
Scalable architecture supporting unlimited players
Engaging UX driving high user retention rates
The app successfully brought the excitement of live football to mobile gaming, creating a new way for fans to engage with matches in real-time.