A redesign of a sports club website that makes it easier to find the offer, information and class sign-ups.
A redesign of the Korona 1919 sports club website – reworking an extensive information structure, simplifying navigation and creating a more intuitive path to the sports sections, sign-ups and contact.
Project overview
PROJECT TYPE:
Website redesign
DURATION:
4 months – delivered in stages
COLLABORATION:
- Club board
- Section coaches
- External development team
MY ROLE:
- UX Research
- Secondary data analysis
- Competitor analysis
- UX/UI Design
- Prototyping
- Usability testing
The goal was to reorganise the sports club’s website so that users could find the information they need more easily and quickly move on to the most important actions, such as choosing a section and signing their child up for classes.
How it started
The need for a redesign came out of a conversation with the club’s President, who pointed out problems with the readability and functionality of the current website. Although the site was relatively new, it no longer met today’s web design standards.
Stage one – diagnosis
PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT WEBSITE
- Sign-ups hidden in the content – information about class sign-ups sat in the middle of a long block of text and was only available through a plain link. Without a clear CTA, the key action was hard to notice and users had to search through the content to find the right sign-up path.
- Scattered information – information about a single section or service was spread across different parts of the site, and some of it was outside the main structure. Users had to move between subpages and piece information together themselves instead of getting it in one logical place.
- Unintuitive navigation – the menu structure and the way users were guided did not match how they naturally look for information. Reaching some content required several unnecessary steps.
- No clear overview of news – the news section displayed whole articles (with photos and full text) one below another instead of leading users to separate pages. Materials originally available as PDFs were also pasted directly onto the page. To reach older information, users had to scroll through long blocks of content instead of quickly scanning a list and picking an article.
How might we?
01
How might we make it easier for users to find and start the class sign-up process?
02
How might we organise information so users can find everything important in one logical place?
03
How might we design simple, intuitive navigation that lets users quickly reach the content they are interested in?
04
How might we present news so users can quickly scan what’s available and find the article they want?
Competitor analysis
I analysed the websites of other sports clubs, comparing how they organise content, navigation, the presentation of sports sections and the paths to sign-ups and contact.
- Sections are the main entry point. The sports offer is easy to reach from the main navigation, and users can quickly go to the discipline they want.
- Class information is well organised. Key information such as groups, schedules, sign-up rules and contact details is presented in one place.
- Sign-ups are clearly visible. Users don’t have to look for a link in the text – the way to sign up is clearly marked.
- Sections follow a consistent pattern. Despite differences between disciplines, basic information is presented in a similar way, which makes the site easier to navigate.
- News as a list, not a wall of text. Cards with a title, photo and short description make it easy to scan the content and choose an article or event. Search and categories make it even easier to find specific information.
Design challenges
Different needs, one system
At first some coaches saw no need for change – sign-ups and communication worked, so why change them? Each section ran sign-ups differently: some by email, others through the ActiveNow system. Instead of imposing a single way of working, I focused in my conversations on understanding the needs and constraints of each section. This helped identify areas that could be unified at the level of the website and the way information is presented, while keeping the existing sign-up methods.
Research – in-depth interviews
To better understand the club’s needs and how it operates, I ran in-depth interviews with three stakeholder groups: board members, section coaches and website users (parents looking for classes for their children).
The conversations let me look at the website from different perspectives: the organisation’s goals, the needs of the people running the sections and the real needs of users. This helped me identify both problems with the website itself and the constraints and processes that exist outside it.
11 interviews
- 2 with club board members
- 4 with section coaches
- 5 with users (parents)
What role should the website play in the club’s communication?
“First and foremost it should inform and make it easy to contact the club. Every section should have information about sign-ups and the contact details of the person coordinating it.”
What does the ideal website look like from your perspective?
“The website should above all be informative, consistent and easy to browse. Important information should be short and clear – for example, highlighting key content such as sign-ups.”
What were you looking for on the website first?
“First I wanted to find out what sections there are. Are they only sports sections, or are there recreational classes too? I also wanted to see the schedule so I could fit classes into our week.”
How did the sign-up process go?
“It was hard to find my way around the website – there’s no intuitive navigation and a lot of uniform text, so it’s hard to find information about the classes I was interested in. I couldn’t find the sign-up link either.”
I identified the following pain points:
I used Dovetail to transcribe the interviews and then used AI to help analyse the transcripts and the secondary data. This helped me organise a large amount of information faster, identify recurring patterns and combine findings from different sources into a coherent picture of user and club needs.
Key findings
Sign-ups are hard to reach
Sign-ups should be a clearly visible element of each section page and a natural next step after learning about the offer.
News should support quick scanning
Cards, short teasers, categories and search make it faster to scan the content and get to a specific article.
Unintuitive navigation
The menu should give direct access to the most important areas of the site, and item names should clearly match where they lead.
Different sections, one consistent system
The club’s sections differ in their offer, how classes are run and how sign-ups work. Still, the website should present information consistently, regardless of each section’s specifics.
The offer should be easy to explore and compare
Users should be able to quickly check which sections and classes the club offers, and then move on to information about the chosen section and its schedule.
User personas
Based on the in-depth interviews I identified two main user groups: club representatives and parents looking for classes for their children. For each group I created a persona, including their goals, needs and problems with using the website.
Tomek Gibki
Gymnastics coach
Tomasz is a gymnastics coach. He wants information about his section to be clear, up to date and easy to find, and users to quickly learn what classes look like and how to sign up.
Goals
- provide up-to-date information about classes and sign-ups
- make it easier for parents and athletes to find what they need
- reduce questions caused by missing information on the website
- keep the sign-up process that suits his section
- have a simple way to manage and update content
Pain points
- different sections run sign-ups in different ways
- users struggle to find information about sign-ups
- some information is scattered or hard to find
- having to answer questions that should be answered on the website
- worry about change when the section’s current way of working is proven and works
Urszula Konieczna
Project manager
Urszula is the mother of a school-age child and is looking for suitable sports or recreational classes. She wants to quickly check the available sections, fit classes into the weekly schedule and easily find the information needed to sign up.
Goals
- quickly check which sections and classes the club offers
- find classes suitable for her child’s age and level
- check the schedule
- easily find the sign-up link or method
- quickly contact the right person if she has questions
Pain points
- unintuitive navigation and several steps to reach a specific section
- information needed to make a decision is scattered
- hard to find the sign-up link
- blocks of text make it hard to quickly find the key information
Information architecture and navigation
Analysing the current structure showed that the problem was not the number of menu items but how content was organised and connected. I rebuilt the information architecture so users could reach the most important areas faster and category names clearly showed what information they would find on each page.
Old navigation
The home page contained news, information about partnerships, sports sections and our facilities – swimming pool, sauna and sports hall. The sports hall, however, led to a short history of the club. Some content was duplicated, and some elements led to pages whose content did not match their names.
Clicking “Sports sections” led to a separate page with a list of sections. Only from there could users choose a specific discipline and go to its information.
“About us” led to a short page with information about the club’s history. Other information about the club was not gathered in one logical place.
New information architecture
New navigation
The new navigation leads directly to the most important areas of the site, and drop-down menus give quick access to specific sections, facilities and information about the club. Clicking the club logo takes users back to the home page.
UI and key features
Based on research insights and the new information architecture, I designed an interface that organises content and makes key information easier to reach. The main solutions focus on choosing a section, signing up for classes, news and quick access to information about the club and its facilities.
Home page
The home page is designed as the entry point to the site’s most important content. Users can quickly see what’s happening at the club, explore the available sections and find out why it’s worth choosing Korona.
Mobile
KEY FEATURES OF THE HOME PAGE
News
The latest information is shown as clear cards, so users can quickly see what’s going on at the club and go to the article they’re interested in.
What are the benefits?
- Quick access to the latest information.
- Easier browsing and choosing content.
- The most important announcements visible right on the home page.
Choosing a section
Sports sections are shown directly on the home page, so users can quickly explore the club’s offer and go to the classes they’re interested in.
What are the benefits?
- Faster discovery of the available offer.
- Easier to find classes that match the user’s needs.
Why choose Korona?
The club’s key values and strengths are presented in a short, easy-to-scan form, helping users get to know Korona before choosing specific classes.
What are the benefits?
- Faster understanding of the club’s main strengths.
- Building trust before making a decision.
- Easier to judge whether the club meets the user’s expectations.
A consistent system of section pages
Each section works a little differently, so instead of unifying their processes I created a shared pattern for presenting information. In similar places users will find a description of the classes, the coaches, practical information and how to sign up.
KEY FEATURES OF THE SECTION PAGES
The benefits of each discipline
Users immediately see what they can gain from training – which skills, abilities and traits the discipline develops. This helps them judge whether the classes meet their own or their child’s needs.
What are the benefits?
- Faster matching of classes to the child’s needs.
- A better understanding of the value of the classes – users see not only what the discipline is, but also what it gives them.
Meet the coaches
The list of coaches lets users get to know the people running the classes and check who is responsible for each group or section.
What are the benefits?
- More trust in the club – users know who will run the classes.
- Faster contact with the right person.
A clear sign-up process
Sections use different sign-up methods, so for each one the process is described clearly step by step, together with the key information. A prominent CTA button leads directly to sign-up or the right way to get in touch.
What are the benefits?
- Faster sign-up – no searching for links in the text.
- Less risk of getting lost – users are guided step by step.
- A consistent experience – despite different sign-up methods in each section.
- Fewer questions to the club and coaches – all the information is in one place.
Contact and location
Each section has its own contact block with a phone number, the exact place where classes are held and links to its social media channels. Users don’t have to look for this information elsewhere on the site.
What are the benefits?
- Faster contact – the phone number is right on the section page.
- Easier to get to classes – the exact building, floor or address is given.
News
News is now organised as cards labelled with the section, with content filtering. This lets users browse information faster and reach the news they care about more easily.
What are the benefits?
- Faster browsing of news
- Easier to find content for a specific section
- Clearer, better organised presentation of information
Label of the section the news item is about
Quick filtering of news by discipline
Club history
Historical information is gathered in one place instead of being repeated on each section page. The club’s history is presented as a timeline of key events – including name changes, infrastructure development and the creation of new sections. Each event can be expanded to see more context.
What are the benefits?
- All historical information in one place
- Easier to learn about the club’s history and development
- Quick scanning of the most important events
- Detailed content available without overloading the page
A chronological overview of key events
Additional information can be expanded
