Digital Scoresheet

Context

The Digital Scoresheet (Acta Digital) is the app official scorers use to record everything that happens in a game: points, fouls, substitutions and timeouts. It's used in more than 3,500 games per season across the competitions of the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB).

It's used in real time, mid-game, and what the scorer records is the official scoresheet.

The problem

The app hadn't been updated in almost ten years.

1. A convoluted interface

   Every new need had been piled on top of what was already there, with no common approach.

2. No standard device

   Each scorer used their own phone or tablet, of different brands and sizes.

3. Scoring blind

   The app didn't make it clear whether what you entered had been recorded correctly.

My role

I was in charge of the design from start to finish: research, definition, prototyping, validation and support during the rollout. I worked daily with the back-end developer and the head of department. There was no design team above me: the UX decisions were mine.

Process

Courtside research

I went to games across a wide range of categories in the Madrid region and sat next to the scorer. I was looking for where the most friction was and which flows had to take priority and be faster.

Two changes came out of that: a shortcut for personal fouls and a simpler way to record a basket.

The game doesn't stop while the scorer looks for a button.

Showing what gets recorded

We strengthened the confirmation for every action. No more scoring blind.

A beta with 150 scorers

Throughout the process we had volunteer scorers from every category of FEB competitions, veterans and newcomers alike. They gave feedback on every feature and suggested changes in a Teams group.

A test game inside the app

There used to be two apps: a pre-production one for testing and a production one for games. Now scorers try out new features without switching apps.

Since the FEB exists to promote basketball, the test game had another use: opening the app to any fan who wants to practice or keep score for a game.

Teaching the tool

Rolling out the new Digital Scoresheet wasn't enough: every scorer had to know how to use it. We held webinars and created a course for scorers on the FEB's interactive training platform.

Results

1. In production

   The new Digital Scoresheet is already used in games.

2. Fewer issues

   Scoring runs into fewer problems and the app performs better.

3. Well received

   Overall feedback from scorers is very good.

4. Open to fans

   Anyone can download it for free on Google Play.