SportPilot. Hosting Rodeo Sport Events, All in One Place.
*For confidentiality, sensitive information, including but not limited to company name, are fictional.
Rodeo producers were stuck juggling scattered tools, costing them time, money, and peace of mind. To solve this, I designed an end-to-end rodeo racing platform from the ground up, creating a holistic experience for both event producers (B2B) and riders (B2C).
Key Impacts. What did I contribute in this client project as a sole designer?
🤝 Delivered a user-centered MVP design successfully got 100% clients sign-offs
From research, I mapped out the entire user task flows, and scoped an MVP that gained clients' trust while balancing business constraints.
⚙️ Improved operational efficiency for users
To measure success, I suggested that clients track metrics such as task completion rates and user satisfaction scores to help evaluate both usability and user reactions.
Final Deliverables. An integrated rodeo event hosting and racing experience.
This Case Study
B2B Web for Producers
The core event management platform for web to manage entries, draws, and payouts with improved efficiency.
B2C Mobile for Riders
A rider-facing mobile interface for easy access to event schedules, results, and notifications on the go.
Marketing Website
A clean, informative site to showcase SportPilot's value and drive product sign-ups.
Project Context & Goals. Why did clients see it as a great business opportunity and request UX design services?
This project tackled a domain that's both unique and complex — especially if you're not familiar with its jargon.
Challenge. Rodeo Sport Domain Complexity.
In the U.S., there are 7,500+ registered riders and 650+ rodeo events annually, totaling over $30M in prize money.
Despite the scale, there's no unified platform to manage these events efficiently.
Existing tools are outdated or too complex, especially with jargon and compliance barriers.
Opportunity. More income and easier access for producers.
Simplifying event administration lets producers focus on the actual work and achieve better results.
This product could be a paid service that producers value because it directly boosts individual income.
By reducing administrative burdens, it lowers the entry barrier for new producers and expands the market potential.
Target Users & Their Needs. Three Main Personas Involved. (Producer is the focus in this case study.)
Producers
Need to efficiently create and manage events, entries, and results.
Riders
Want quick access to schedules, race classes, and payouts.
Viewers
Expect access to live game results and actively participate.
Existing Workaround Solutions
Producers were juggling workarounds, Excel sheets, Facebook groups, and message apps, to run events.
This patchwork led to information loss, data entry errors, and messy communications with riders.
Research. Identify high-impact areas in rodeo race producers' workflow by understanding their context, needs, and pain points.
In Reality (Current State)
❌ Stuck with disconnected tools
User Expect (Desired State)
🤞An integrated, easy-to-use digital tool
Producers need a unified solution that works seamlessly across all event stages and locations.
To better fill the need for integration, I decided to map out the entire rodeo race workflow. Through quick user/expert interviews, I broke down the workflows into different stages: planning, before, during, and after the event. It helped me to uncover interaction dependencies and align with stakeholders(clients and developers).
Rodeo Race Workflow diagram for 3 user Personas
Prioritization. I realized the initial stages were more ambiguous and impactful for users.
My goal was to build an MVP version of a revolutionary rodeo event system with the limited dev resources and time.
01 Event Setup
Guided workflows to reduce overwhelm and prevent errors
02 Event Management
Speed, clarity, and feedback are everything.
From research, I narrowed down my design focus to these two key areas to ensure meeting deadlines and clients' expectations.
Focus Area 1. Event Setup.
📌 What producers needed to do was to define a series of race rules and set up logistics such as event location & dates.
🤯 Why was it hard:
The original interface was a lengthy form with over 20 fields, no visual groupings, and no progress indicators—leading to errors and frustration.
Old Solution: Complex, unstructured forms
📍 My design goal was to shorten setup time and reduce task abandonment caused by form complexity.
Iteration 1.1: Basic Information
Iteration 1.2: Race format setup
🔨 How I implemented it:
I transformed the form into a four-step guided flow, grouping tasks into logical sections: Basic Info, Race Format, Add-ons, and Review.
Each step had clear labels, optional fields were marked, and users could track progress. This reduced cognitive load, increased task clarity, and gave producers more control and confidence during setup.
Focus Area 2. Event Management.
📌 What producers needed to do was to be a "T-shaped" talent to stay on top of both event operations and riders' entry management.
🤯 Why was it hard:
Producers had to jump between separate Excel sheets for each category (draws, ads, inventory), leading to slowdowns and missed details.
Event
└── Draws, Stalls & RVs, Ads
└── Race Days
└── Classes
└── Entries
Information Architecture
📍 My design goal was to reduce the time spent navigating between disconnected files and lower the error rate.
Iteration 1: Events Page
Iteration 1: Events Page - Entries/Draws Table View
🔨 How I implemented it:
I introduced a new structure: Events → Draws / Entries. This gave producers a straightforward mental model to follow.
The result: less jumping around, better focus, and smoother coordination.
🔄 My Iterative Process
90% of designs earned client sign-off in the first round—thanks to thorough domain research before design.
Still, I continued to iterate based on user feedback to refine the experience further.
Key Solution 1. A Bird's Eye View Dashboard with a centralized control and clear structure.
A high-level snapshot of key areas, using modular sections and data visualization
Key Solution 2. Event Setup with guided flows, and fewer errors
Key Solution 3. Live Event Management with fast edits, smooth live operations
