Footballco

Redesign of Goal.com and App

Footballco is the world’s leading football media company, comprising of nine international brands. Their content spans football news & analysis, reporting, social media, web stores, video, podcasts, newsletters, and live scores.

In essence, the overall feel of the platform was tired, running on an outdated legacy platform. The UI was in need of a fresh new approach, to effectively unleash the vast range of content. Advertising is the primary revenue spinner, and as such posed a significant design challenge due to the high number of banner ads. To begin I carried out a UX audit of the digital platforms, outlining tasks ranging from quick wins to long-term objectives.

I developed new designs for key templates including the homepage, articles, matches, competitions and team/player pages. Additionally, I conducted a thorough review of the typography on both web and app. With a focus on clarity and consistency, I streamlined the font system and introduced two new fonts (one designed from scratch) that complemented the overall brand. All design and typography updates were documented within a design system in Figma.

User engagement – average time on site up 17%
Increase in page views – +4 pages per session
App downloads up 12%
Affiliate revenue – +215% month on month

  • DisciplineUX/UI Design, Design System, Typography, Branding
  • Date2023
goal.com

Homepage

Goal’s homepage is a prime example of a news portal rich in data, featuring an extensive array of sports information. To enhance the user experience I introduced several impactful design enhancements. These updates include incorporating a hero news article with ticker tape feed, breaking news component and strategically placing advertisement containers to effectively divide the page content. Additionally, I crafted a variety of article card formations, giving the editorial team a flexible library of component blocks to effortlessly diversify the page content.

Article page

The primary challenge of the article page lies with the editorial team and control over the content. After presenting several page templates to the editorial team, I provided clear direction on page design and layout. The result was a significant improvement in the overall flow of the page, with clear engaging content that allowed users to digest information more easily.

Another key objective was to improve article recirculation. By strategically placing a curated selection of article links throughout the page, we successfully boosted click-through rates, encouraging users to explore more content within the platform.

Match page

The existing Match pages operate on an outdated legacy platform, featuring a UI design that is both visually overwhelming and cluttered with excessive colour use. These pages posed a significant challenge as they hold a vast amount of football data from across the globe such as fixtures and results, live scores, team and player stats and more. By understanding user preferences and needs, I was able to design an effective UI and navigation structure giving users swift access to all match information.

Competition page

Nestled within the Match page framework, the competition pages serve as an integral component, providing users with up-to-date information from the biggest leagues and tournaments around the globe. I developed a versatile page template that could be effortlessly restyled through the back end, enabling seamless customization to align with renowned brands such as the Premier League and Champions League.

Team/Player pages

I utilized the competition page template as a starting point. With the customisation features, we were able to brand each page with the teams unique colours. Employing a three-color palette for each team and seamlessly integrating the goal.com background texture, I successfully created an engaging tailored experience.

Navigating the player page presented a considerable challenge due to the wealth of information available. Having gathered valuable user feedback, I crafted an effective page structure giving a clear and logical breakdown of all data.

New display font: Panenka

Recognising the need for flexibility in supporting over 35 languages globally, I took it upon myself to design a new display font from scratch. This bespoke font not only enhanced the visual appeal but also ensured seamless legibility across different languages and regions, empowering the brand to communicate effectively on a global scale. The inspiration behind the name Panenka stems from the technique introduced by Antonín Panenka, who was the first player to execute a chip down the middle from a penalty kick.

Uplift in user engagement – average time on site up 17%
Increase in page views – +4 pages per session
App downloads up 12%
Affiliate revenue – +215% month on month

Testimonial

Andy was brought in last year to work on repositioning GOAL and its product offerings. It was quite the challenge, and over 12 months he has accomplished so much. A great all round designer, specifically on the UI side of things, even going so far as to create a new font for GOAL, learning the software on the job. Andy also is just a good lad to work with, as much as I value talent, I value patience, courtesy and understanding. I have enjoyed every second working with him, and genuinely sad we cannot continue his contract further due to budget constraints. Thank you for all the hard work!

Paul Howe
Head of Design, Footballco

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