LTA COURTSIDE

Client

The Lawn Tennis Association

Year

2025

Building a Fan-Centric App to Enhance Tennis Tournament Experiences

OVERVIEW

In 2024, the LTA took another significant step in its digital transformation journey by launching LTA Courtside, a fan-centered mobile app designed to enhance the tennis tournament experience. Available for both iOS and Android, the app leveraged native functionality to deliver a seamless and engaging user experience.

The LTA Courtside app was crafted to meet the needs of tennis fans, providing them with a comprehensive hub for tournament information. Users could effortlessly view match schedules, track the latest results, and stay informed about their favourite players and matches. Beyond this, the app allowed users to access and manage their tickets, as well as easily manage their accounts, creating a streamlined experience from start to finish.

With its focus on usability and functionality, LTA Courtside continued the LTA’s mission of making tennis more accessible, ensuring fans could connect with the sport they love through a digital platform that enhanced their event-day experiences. My role in this project built on my previous work with the LTA, enabling me to further contribute to their vision of delivering innovative, user-first digital solutions.

Client

The Lawn Tennis Association

Industry

Sports & Recreation

Service

iOS / Android Mobile App Design

UI / UX Design

Branding

Duration

4 Months

Visit Website

TIMELINE

The initial MVP phase of the project lasted four months. For the first two months, I collaborated with and mentored a junior designer as we worked together on the design. In the second half, I took sole responsibility for the design delivery, managing input from brand, commercial, and content teams while ensuring the app met user needs and business goals. This was a valuable opportunity to lead, mentor, and deliver a high-quality, user-centered solution independently.

GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS

ADAPTING WEB EXPERIENCE FOR MOBILE

Much like LTA Play Tennis, the app needed to adapt and optimise the existing web experience for native mobile platforms, ensuring a seamless, user-friendly interface tailored to iOS and Android devices.

THIRD-PARTY TOOL INTEGRATION

Key requirements included integrating third-party tools, such as a ticketing SDK and a live scores plugin, while preserving a cohesive user experience throughout the app. The goal was to ensure these integrations enhanced the app’s functionality without disrupting the overall flow and design.

NATIVE MOBILE DEVELOPMENT AND BRAND ALIGNMENT

The app had to leverage native mobile features to enhance functionality and usability, all while staying true to LTA’s branding and design principles.

MVP Phase: Focussed on core functionality and delivering a simple, intuitive user experience.

Phase 1: Introduced branding elements where feasible—striking a balance between visual identity and the constraints of native components.

FROM CONCEPT TO CREATION

PROCESS

INITIAL EXPLORATION

DESIGN LAB

The client had a clear vision for the app’s purpose, features, and audience. To validate these assumptions and ensure we met user needs, we began with a three-day Design Lab in collaboration with Apple, users, and the client. This included user interviews to identify pain points and opportunities across the user journey.

INITIAL EXPLORATION

FEATURE PRIORITISATION

On Day 1, we focused on understanding users. A co-creation session helped uncover pain points, needs, and opportunities in booking tennis courts. We explored how mobile features could improve the experience. To inspire ideas, we shared design examples from booking apps. Insights shaped a “golden thread”—the ideal user journey—refined with user and client feedback. This became the foundation for Day 2: Wireframing.

INITIAL EXPLORATION

APP CONCEPT CREATION

Using these insights, we created an app concept that explored key user scenarios. This concept was then reviewed to prioritise features for the MVP, laying a strong foundation for the project.

DESIGN PHASE

CONTENT PRIORITISATION AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

A key part of the process was collaborating with the client’s content team to determine which web content should be included in the app. Through workshops, the content team ranked existing content as primary, secondary, or tertiary based on its relevance to user journeys. We aligned their input with the product team’s vision and used it to shape the app’s information architecture.

DESIGN PHASE

USER TESTING

The information architecure was tested with users in several rounds of validation to ensure it was clear and intuitive.

DESIGN PHASE

FINAL DESIGNS AND BRANDING

With the information architecture and navigation set, we moved to high-fidelity designs. Collaborating with LTA’s branding and commercial teams, we balanced stakeholder input to align design with identity and business needs. Continuous iteration and close teamwork with developers ensured feasibility and a seamless user experience.

DESIGN PHASE

LIGHT AND DARK MODE

Both light and dark modes were designed for iOS and Android, making the app feel native and intuitive on both platforms.

INITIAL EXPLORATION

DESIGN LAB

INITIAL EXPLORATION

FEATURE PRIORITISATION

INITIAL EXPLORATION

APP CONCEPT CREATION

Using these insights, we created an app concept that explored key user scenarios. This concept was then reviewed to prioritise features for the MVP, laying a strong foundation for the project.

DESIGN PHASE

CONTENT PRIORITISATION AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

DESIGN PHASE

USER TESTING

The information architecure was tested with users in several rounds of validation to ensure it was clear and intuitive.

DESIGN PHASE

FINAL DESIGNS AND BRANDING

DESIGN PHASE

LIGHT AND DARK MODE

Both light and dark modes were designed for iOS and Android, making the app feel native and intuitive on both platforms.

MVP / DESIGN LAB

DESIGN LAB

INITIAL EXPLORATION

FEATURE PRIORITISATION

INITIAL EXPLORATION

APP CONCEPT CREATION

Using these insights, we created an app concept that explored key user scenarios. This concept was then reviewed to prioritise features for the MVP, laying a strong foundation for the project.

DESIGN PHASE

CONTENT PRIORITISATION AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

DESIGN PHASE

USER TESTING

The information architecure was tested with users in several rounds of validation to ensure it was clear and intuitive.

DESIGN PHASE

FINAL DESIGNS AND BRANDING

DESIGN PHASE

LIGHT AND DARK MODE

Both light and dark modes were designed for iOS and Android, making the app feel native and intuitive on both platforms.

INITIAL EXPLORATION

DESIGN LAB

INITIAL EXPLORATION

FEATURE PRIORITISATION

INITIAL EXPLORATION

APP CONCEPT CREATION

Using these insights, we created an app concept that explored key user scenarios. This concept was then reviewed to prioritise features for the MVP, laying a strong foundation for the project.

DESIGN PHASE

CONTENT PRIORITISATION AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

DESIGN PHASE

USER TESTING

The information architecure was tested with users in several rounds of validation to ensure it was clear and intuitive.

DESIGN PHASE

FINAL DESIGNS AND BRANDING

DESIGN PHASE

LIGHT AND DARK MODE

Both light and dark modes were designed for iOS and Android, making the app feel native and intuitive on both platforms.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

FINAL DESIGNS

Access Tournament Information

From the landing page, users can browse live and upcoming tournaments at a glance. They can tap into each event for key details, including entry rules, event essentials, venue navigation, accessibility, weather updates, and more.

Navigate Between Tournaments

From any tournament details page, users can quickly switch to another event using the Menu in the top right or return to the home screen to explore more.

Manage Tickets and Transfers

In the Tickets tab, users can view and manage their tickets, including transferring them to another user through a seamless third-party integration.

View Live Scores, Draws and Order of Play

In the Scores tab, users can follow real-time updates, check tournament draws, and view the daily order of play. Live scores are powered by a third-party plugin, which had some design limitations, but we did our best to make the experience feel consistent with the rest of the app.

Manage Account and Membership

In the My Profile tab, users can edit their details, check their LTA membership type, and upgrade their membership—all in one place.

next steps

aPP LAUNCH AND SCALING

The app is set to launch in February 2025 and is expected to transform fan engagement year-round. The MVP establishes a strong foundation for sustained interaction, with future updates planned to include features like exclusive content and rewards programmes. These additions aim to make the app a year-round destination for tennis fans, not just a tournament tool.

Built with scalability in mind, the app is designed to grow and evolve, continuing to enhance the tennis experience for users.

PORTFOLIO

CHECK OUT SOME MORE

App Key Drivers

View Project

Research

Mobile App Design

App Key Drivers

View Project

Research

Mobile App Design

App Key Drivers

View Project

App Key Drivers

View Project

Research

Mobile App Design

Play Tennis

View Project

iOS / Android Mobile App Design

UI / UX Design

Branding

Play Tennis

View Project

iOS / Android Mobile App Design

UI / UX Design

Branding

Play Tennis

View Project

Play Tennis

View Project

iOS / Android Mobile App Design

UI / UX Design

Branding