NFL Game Experience Redesign
The NFL set out to redesign its digital game experience to better serve fans during pre-game, in-game, and post-game moments. As Lead Product Designer, I was responsible for reimagining this experience from the ground up — balancing fan expectations with business goals around video engagement, live viewership, and sponsorship opportunities.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Company
The NFL
Date
2018 (4 months)
Context: What is the Digital Games Experience (DGX)?
The Digital Games Experience (DGX) is the core part of the NFL mobile app and website where fans engage with weekly matchups during the season. It serves as the digital destination for game-specific content before, during, and after the game. When a fan taps on a matchup — say, Chiefs vs. Bills — they’re taken into the Game Details screen within DGX. This experience includes things like: Live game access options (TV broadcast info, streaming availability, authentication prompts), Real-time stats and scoring updates, Drive chart visualizations and play-by-play, On-demand video content (highlights, replays, analysis), and more.
This experience is mission-critical to how millions of fans engage with games digitally, especially as more users shift toward mobile streaming and second-screen behavior. The redesign of DGX aimed to modernize this high-traffic surface, deepen fan engagement, and better connect fans with the content they care about at the right moment.
Goals / Objectives
1. Make live game access clear and seamless by improving how broadcast and streaming details are presented so fans can quickly understand where to watch. For games available on NFL platforms, streamline the authentication process to make live viewing effortless.
2. Increase video engagement by surfacing highlights and analysis in the context of the game, giving fans instant access to relevant moments without disrupting their experience.
3. Reimagine the drive chart as a real-time game companion by designing a more intuitive, dynamic drive chart that helps fans follow the game on the go, especially when they can’t watch the live broadcast.
4. Introduce new sponsorship opportunities in high-value content areas like big plays, stats, and highlight collections — maintaining a quality experience while expanding monetization
User Insights
Through discovery research and usability testing, we uncovered several pain points:
1. Confusion around how to watch a live game
Fans visiting NFL platforms (the mobile app and website) often struggled to find clear information about how to watch live games. Many were confused about whether a game was available to stream in the app, and if not, it wasn’t always clear where they could watch it instead.
2. Drive chart was valuable — but confusing
Fans frequently referenced the drive chart but found it hard to follow and often questioned whether it was in sync with the live game. At one point, we considered removing it entirely in favor of prioritizing video content like highlights. However, when a bug accidentally removed the chart, the fan response was immediate and vocal — making it clear just how important the feature was, even when a live broadcast was available.
3. VOD content was buried or hard to discover
Fans wanted quick access to highlights and analysis, especially during key game moments.