AlphaBettor is a social sports betting platform that allows users to share and monetize their betting picks. Users can sell their betting advice, follow their favorite bettors, track their own betting performance, and engage in a community-driven feed. The app aims to create a sports betting ecosystem where users benefit not only from their own bets but also by monetizing their knowledge and learning from others.

Product Designer

Figma, ProtoPie, dscout, Adobe (Photoshop, After Effects)

12 weeks

User Research

Wireframing

Prototyping

Usability Testing

Competitive Analysis

The challenge was to create a seamless and intuitive experience for users to both monetize and consume sports betting advice, blending the functionality of a sportsbook with the social aspects of a follower-based platform. Users needed a simple way to track their betting performance and engage with others, while maintaining trust in betting recommendations.

To ensure the app met the needs of the target audience, a competitive analysis was conducted, comparing popular sportsbooks and social platforms. Key takeaways included the importance of displaying detailed betting stats, creating a sense of community, and ensuring trust through transparent track records.

We also interviewed 14 potential users, including both casual bettors and seasoned sports betting enthusiasts. These interviews aimed to uncover user pain points, such as difficulty finding trustworthy advice, and the need for a platform that combined betting with a social experience.

Alex, a seasoned bettor who wants to monetize his insights and share them with the community.

Jordan, a casual bettor looking to follow and learn from experts to improve betting outcomes.

Trust and Transparency: Users needed to see historical betting performance to decide if they wanted to buy picks.

Community Engagement: Users valued the ability to follow others, comment, and interact within the platform like they would on traditional social media.

Seamless Betting Process: Users expected an intuitive flow from viewing picks to placing bets, similar to the streamlined nature of traditional sportsbooks.

We designed the core user flows to ensure a smooth betting experience. The key flows included:

Following and Exploring Bettors: Users can follow bettors they trust and explore top-ranked users through a leaderboard based on betting performance.

Placing and Monetizing Bets: Users can place bets and decide whether to sell their picks by setting a price or offering them for free.

Engaging with the Community: Users can like, comment, and share betting posts, fostering interaction similar to social media.

Initial wireframes were created to map out the core structure of the app, particularly focusing on:

Profile Pages: Showcasing user betting history, live bets, followers, and following count, along with bet statistics.

Main Feed: Displaying recent bets from followed users, both free and locked (priced) bets.

Sportsbook Tab: Allowing users to navigate and place their picks in an intuitive and familiar layout, offering a seamless transition from social interaction to betting.

We created high-fidelity prototypes to test these interactions, ensuring the flow from browsing picks to placing a bet was fluid and intuitive.

We conducted two rounds of usability testing with 8 users. Key feedback included:

Simplify the Purchase Flow: Some users found the process of purchasing a locked bet slightly confusing, so we streamlined the interaction with clearer purchase buttons and confirmations.

Improve Visual Hierarchy on Profile Pages: Users wanted more prominence given to key stats like win percentages and current bets, leading to design revisions that brought these elements forward.

The profile page is the hub for users to manage their betting activity and social presence. It displays:

Stats and Rankings: Win/loss history, bet types (Moneyline, Over/Under, Spread), monthly breakdowns, and rankings.

Followers and Following: Social features allow users to track influencers and compare performance.

Live and Past Bets: Users can see their active bets and bet history in a simple, categorized layout.

The main feed functions similarly to a social media timeline, where users can scroll through recent picks from followed users. Each post showcases:

Bet Details: Including the matchup, bet type, odds, and any analysis provided by the bettor.

Engagement: Users can like, comment, or purchase community posted bets. Posted bets display pricing clearly, and the purchase process is streamlined to minimize friction.

The sportsbook page allows users to view upcoming events across multiple sports (Football, Baseball, Basketball). It functions like a traditional sportsbook, enabling users to place bets directly from the page. After placing a bet, they can choose to post it on the feed as a free or paid pick.

Users can sell their bets by choosing a pricing tier, allowing them to offer premium insights for sale. Once the bet is posted for sale, followers can unlock it for a fee and gain access to the bettor's analysis and reasoning.

While the app is still in the beta phase, user feedback and initial testing have highlighted key strengths:

Engagement Levels: Users reported a high level of engagement with the feed, especially in terms of liking and commenting on picks.

Transparency and Trust: The statistics and history sections build trust among users, as they can verify the performance of others before purchasing picks.

Revenue Generation: Early testers who were able to sell their picks appreciated the ability to monetize their expertise, adding an extra incentive to use the app regularly.

Balancing Social and Betting Experiences: One of the biggest challenges was finding the right balance between the social media elements and the core betting functionality. Iteration on the feed and profile pages ensured we didn’t overwhelm users with information while keeping key stats and social interactions front and center.

Trust through Stats: The success of this platform hinges on the accuracy and clarity of user statistics, and we learned that these elements need to be visually clear, easy to understand, and always accessible.

Usability over Complexity: Simplifying the purchase flow and monetization options was a crucial learning. While complex systems for monetization can be powerful, they need to be straightforward for everyday users.

Improved Notifications: As users engage more, real-time notifications for comments, likes, and sales could improve the sense of community and keep users more engaged.

Enhanced Tail Functionality: A more in-depth "Tail" feature, allowing users to quickly see how their purchased bets performed, could further increase engagement and trust in the platform.