Redesigning Martial Arts Achievement Verification
From rigid systems to dynamic, engaging experiences
As martial arts continue to gain popularity in the United States, with a 31% increase in practitioners from 2010 to 2023, the DOJO+ app faced a growing challenge: ensuring timely and reliable belt verifications. The traditional instructor-based verification process was causing delays, leading to frustration among users eager to showcase their progress.
Client
DOJO+
Project Date
April 2024, 2 weeks
Role/Execution
Improved app Design System, User Research, and Prototyping
Team Members
Carlos Gómez Cartagena and Martha Perez
Redesigning Martial Arts Achievement Verification
From rigid systems to dynamic, engaging experiences
As martial arts continue to gain popularity in the United States, with a 31% increase in practitioners from 2010 to 2023, the DOJO+ app faced a growing challenge: ensuring timely and reliable belt verifications. The traditional instructor-based verification process was causing delays, leading to frustration among users eager to showcase their progress.
Client
DOJO+
Project Date
April 2024, 2 weeks
Role/Execution
Improved app Design System, User Research, and Prototyping
Team Members
Carlos Gómez Cartagena and Martha Perez
Design Challenge
The existing belt verification process in DOJO+ was inefficient and often delayed, primarily due to the busy schedules of instructors. This resulted in a backlog of unverified promotions, which decreased user satisfaction and engagement.
Exploring the Issues
Martial artists love sharing their progress, but the belt verification process in DOJO+ was slow and frustrating. Instructors couldn't keep up with requests, causing long waits and user frustration. This delayed recognition discouraged users and reduced their engagement with the app. Through surveys and interviews, we discovered that users highly valued timely recognition from their peers and instructors, and that prompt verification was crucial for maintaining their motivation and engagement.
Designing the Solution
We tackled these challenges by implementing a community-based belt verification system. This approach leveraged the martial arts community through two systems: one for users to post achievements for votes and another for voting on others' progress. Users could upload documents, photos, and comments to support their ranking or vote. This system reduced delays and enhanced user engagement by ensuring timely recognition and maintaining motivation.
Designing the Solution
We tackled these challenges by implementing a community-based belt verification system. This approach leveraged the martial arts community through two systems: one for users to post achievements for votes and another for voting on others' progress. Users could upload documents, photos, and comments to support their ranking or vote. This system reduced delays and enhanced user engagement by ensuring timely recognition and maintaining motivation.
Designing the Solution
We tackled these challenges by implementing a community-based belt verification system. This approach leveraged the martial arts community through two systems: one for users to post achievements for votes and another for voting on others' progress. Users could upload documents, photos, and comments to support their ranking or vote. This system reduced delays and enhanced user engagement by ensuring timely recognition and maintaining motivation.
Design Journey
01
Research & Analysis
To kick off the project, we began with a robust User Research & Insights process, tapping into what drives the martial arts community. Using tools like the CSD matrix, we identified key user motivations: belt verification not only represents pride in their achievements but also establishes credibility across schools. From there, a Competitor Analysis revealed existing platforms like BJJ Beltchecker and Marune, which either fell short on mobile functionality or required subscriptions, giving us insight into areas where our app could excel. Through a SWOT Analysis, we identified Dojo's strengths in community-focused networking and progress tracking, alongside opportunities to enhance social media presence. Using the Moscow Method, we defined must-haves like a transparent belt ranking system and community feedback. We also implemented User Research through surveys and interviews, revealing that 60% of users trust rank-based verification and that over 83% value being part of an online martial arts community. These insights paved the way for creating a more engaging and trustworthy platform.
02
Understanding Our User
Meet Marco, a Jiu-Jitsu aficionado and software developer juggling his demanding job with his martial arts journey. His story highlights a familiar pain point: the complex and often slow belt verification process. Marco’s dedication and hours on the mat are rewarded with rank promotions, but the cluttered interfaces and lengthy community voting process leave him frustrated. He wants recognition and validation for his achievements, but delays hinder his ability to share his progress and keep moving forward. Through an Empathy Map and User Journey, we uncovered his emotional highs—feeling accomplished when sharing progress on social media—and his lows—feeling restless as votes trickle in from lower-ranked users. Opportunities arose: the need for clearer feedback loops, streamlined progress tracking, and community badges that reflect both his rank and dedication. Marco’s story became our blueprint for building a more intuitive and community-driven app experience, keeping users engaged and recognized every step of the way.
03
Ideation to Prototyping
Our journey began with the goal of creating a community-driven belt verification process. We explored various options, ultimately discarding features like tutorials and the appeal process for future iterations. The focus shifted to building two core User Flows: the Community Verification Submission (for Marco, the Dojo Devotee) and the Community Voting Submission (for Juno, the Guardian Sensei). Marco logs in, submits his rank for community verification, and can opt to share the post, while Juno logs in, verifies rank submissions, and can share his verification with the community. From there, we moved to prototyping, starting with low-fi sketches, progressing to mid-fi, and finally delivering high-fi wireframes that reflect the full user experience. Our Usability Testing via Useberry revealed that while 60% of users understood the voting process, suggestions like increasing the size of the voting button and improving post spacing were implemented to enhance clarity and navigation.
Design Journey
01
Research & Analysis
To kick off the project, we began with a robust User Research & Insights process, tapping into what drives the martial arts community. Using tools like the CSD matrix, we identified key user motivations: belt verification not only represents pride in their achievements but also establishes credibility across schools. From there, a Competitor Analysis revealed existing platforms like BJJ Beltchecker and Marune, which either fell short on mobile functionality or required subscriptions, giving us insight into areas where our app could excel. Through a SWOT Analysis, we identified Dojo's strengths in community-focused networking and progress tracking, alongside opportunities to enhance social media presence. Using the Moscow Method, we defined must-haves like a transparent belt ranking system and community feedback. We also implemented User Research through surveys and interviews, revealing that 60% of users trust rank-based verification and that over 83% value being part of an online martial arts community. These insights paved the way for creating a more engaging and trustworthy platform.
02
Understanding Our User
Meet Marco, a Jiu-Jitsu aficionado and software developer juggling his demanding job with his martial arts journey. His story highlights a familiar pain point: the complex and often slow belt verification process. Marco’s dedication and hours on the mat are rewarded with rank promotions, but the cluttered interfaces and lengthy community voting process leave him frustrated. He wants recognition and validation for his achievements, but delays hinder his ability to share his progress and keep moving forward. Through an Empathy Map and User Journey, we uncovered his emotional highs—feeling accomplished when sharing progress on social media—and his lows—feeling restless as votes trickle in from lower-ranked users. Opportunities arose: the need for clearer feedback loops, streamlined progress tracking, and community badges that reflect both his rank and dedication. Marco’s story became our blueprint for building a more intuitive and community-driven app experience, keeping users engaged and recognized every step of the way.
03
Ideation to Prototyping
Our journey began with the goal of creating a community-driven belt verification process. We explored various options, ultimately discarding features like tutorials and the appeal process for future iterations. The focus shifted to building two core User Flows: the Community Verification Submission (for Marco, the Dojo Devotee) and the Community Voting Submission (for Juno, the Guardian Sensei). Marco logs in, submits his rank for community verification, and can opt to share the post, while Juno logs in, verifies rank submissions, and can share his verification with the community. From there, we moved to prototyping, starting with low-fi sketches, progressing to mid-fi, and finally delivering high-fi wireframes that reflect the full user experience. Our Usability Testing via Useberry revealed that while 60% of users understood the voting process, suggestions like increasing the size of the voting button and improving post spacing were implemented to enhance clarity and navigation.
Design Journey
01
Research & Analysis
To kick off the project, we began with a robust User Research & Insights process, tapping into what drives the martial arts community. Using tools like the CSD matrix, we identified key user motivations: belt verification not only represents pride in their achievements but also establishes credibility across schools. From there, a Competitor Analysis revealed existing platforms like BJJ Beltchecker and Marune, which either fell short on mobile functionality or required subscriptions, giving us insight into areas where our app could excel. Through a SWOT Analysis, we identified Dojo's strengths in community-focused networking and progress tracking, alongside opportunities to enhance social media presence. Using the Moscow Method, we defined must-haves like a transparent belt ranking system and community feedback. We also implemented User Research through surveys and interviews, revealing that 60% of users trust rank-based verification and that over 83% value being part of an online martial arts community. These insights paved the way for creating a more engaging and trustworthy platform.
02
Understanding Our User
Meet Marco, a Jiu-Jitsu aficionado and software developer juggling his demanding job with his martial arts journey. His story highlights a familiar pain point: the complex and often slow belt verification process. Marco’s dedication and hours on the mat are rewarded with rank promotions, but the cluttered interfaces and lengthy community voting process leave him frustrated. He wants recognition and validation for his achievements, but delays hinder his ability to share his progress and keep moving forward. Through an Empathy Map and User Journey, we uncovered his emotional highs—feeling accomplished when sharing progress on social media—and his lows—feeling restless as votes trickle in from lower-ranked users. Opportunities arose: the need for clearer feedback loops, streamlined progress tracking, and community badges that reflect both his rank and dedication. Marco’s story became our blueprint for building a more intuitive and community-driven app experience, keeping users engaged and recognized every step of the way.
03
Ideation to Prototyping
Our journey began with the goal of creating a community-driven belt verification process. We explored various options, ultimately discarding features like tutorials and the appeal process for future iterations. The focus shifted to building two core User Flows: the Community Verification Submission (for Marco, the Dojo Devotee) and the Community Voting Submission (for Juno, the Guardian Sensei). Marco logs in, submits his rank for community verification, and can opt to share the post, while Juno logs in, verifies rank submissions, and can share his verification with the community. From there, we moved to prototyping, starting with low-fi sketches, progressing to mid-fi, and finally delivering high-fi wireframes that reflect the full user experience. Our Usability Testing via Useberry revealed that while 60% of users understood the voting process, suggestions like increasing the size of the voting button and improving post spacing were implemented to enhance clarity and navigation.
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