Ryder Cup
Role: Executive Leader Of Product Design, UX & Innovation
As the Executive Leader of Product Design, UX & Innovation, I led the digital design initiative for the Ryder Cup, a premier event co-hosted by the DP World Tour and the PGA of America. Tasked with creating and maintaining essential digital platforms, I directed multidisciplinary teams at NBC Sports, overseeing Design, UX, Product, Engineering, and Quality Assurance. Our work involved bi-annual refreshes of the website and mobile applications, ensuring they remained cutting-edge in both design and functionality. Collaborating closely with stakeholders from both organizations, as well as various technical and marketing vendors, we introduced fresh and innovative features that enhanced the user experience. Throughout the project, I ensured that all digital touchpoints adhered to the brand standards of the PGA and DP World Tour, delivering a unified and engaging digital experience for Ryder Cup fans.
Design Process
Our design process for the Ryder Cup's digital platforms, created for the PGA of America and DP World Tour, was both comprehensive and adaptive, utilizing a range of methodologies to maximize effectiveness. We began with an in-depth Competitive Analysis to understand industry benchmarks and trends, which informed our design direction. Focus Groups played a crucial role in gathering direct feedback from users, ensuring our designs were aligned with their needs and expectations. By leveraging Iterative Design and Design Thinking methodologies, we continuously refined our solutions, incorporating user and stakeholder feedback at each stage. Rigorous User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and Load Testing were essential to validate both the functionality and performance of the platforms. Given the complexity of the Ryder Cup products, which transitioned through five distinct phases to meet evolving user demands, we approached each design independently while ensuring they worked seamlessly together to deliver a cohesive and user-focused digital experience.
Discovery
In our Market Research, we analyzed digital platforms from major golf events and held discovery meetings with the NBC Olympics team leadership to identify key trends and opportunities. This collaborative approach revealed critical patterns that guided our focus on delivering exceptional performance and garnering positive user feedback. The NBC Olympics stood out as a leader in technology and user experience, particularly through its mobile app, which featured live streaming, real-time scoring, interactive maps, and augmented reality. The use of advanced data analytics to enhance performance insights further demonstrated NBC Olympics' pioneering role in integrating cutting-edge technology on the global stage. These insights significantly influenced our design strategy for the Ryder Cup's digital platforms.
To ensure our designs aligned with the strategic goals of both the PGA of America and DP World Tour, we conducted in-depth stakeholder Interviews with key representatives from both organizations. These discussions allowed us to thoroughly assess the strengths and identify areas for improvement in their existing website and mobile app. By taking charge of the design, UX, and development processes, we gained valuable insights into what aspects were performing well and where enhancements were necessary. These consultations were instrumental in guiding our team, ensuring that our efforts were perfectly aligned with the organizations' objectives and that we delivered a refined digital experience that resonated with the global audience of the Ryder Cup.
Building on our stakeholder interviews, we conducted a thorough analysis of survey data from previous Ryder Cup events and reviewed user feedback from the existing website and mobile app. To further validate our findings, we organized several focus groups with target audiences to gather VOC data points, ensuring that our design, UX, and development strategies were grounded in both stakeholder insights and real-world user experiences. This comprehensive approach allowed us to refine our decisions, ensuring that the digital experience we created resonated deeply with users while aligning seamlessly with the strategic goals of both the PGA of America and DP World Tour. By integrating these diverse perspectives, we crafted a digital platform that truly connected with the global Ryder Cup audience.
Results
Final Designs
In spearheading the design for the Ryder Cup's digital platforms, I played a key role in developing a comprehensive design system that became the backbone for all visual and interactive elements across the website, mobile app, and digital ads. This system was crucial in delivering a consistent and cohesive brand experience, making it easier to roll out new features and assets efficiently. My team and I focused on user-centric principles to design intuitive interfaces for both the website and mobile app, while also crafting visually impactful ad designs that effectively conveyed the Ryder Cup’s brand and event messaging. This integrated approach ensured that we maintained brand integrity across all digital channels, significantly enhancing user experience and engagement throughout the event.
Design System
Ads
App Store
Mobile App
Website
