Credentials is an application in use by all 30 MLB teams. Credentials was created to give game credentials to the press affiliate organizations covering MLB games. This feature update for Credentials changed the application so that instead of creating an application on a game by game basis, the applications will be created by series (sets of 2-3 games).
Project Details
Role
UX/UI designer
Responsibilities:
Stakeholder interviews
Presenting design solutions to stakeholders
Diagramming back end solution to explain to stakeholders
User flows
Wireframes
UI design for new screens
InVision prototypes (for showcasing screen flow, and page-levels interactions)
QA of front end design/functionality
Project Length
8 Months
Challenge
The challenge for this project was to make major changes to how users apply for games. Going from applying to one game at a time, to applying for games by the series (like they are played). This needed to be done without any major changes to the UI, keeping the process as familiar to the existing credentialing process as possible.
Goal
For MLB the goal was simple. To have their credentialing process (both the application for credentials as well as the administering of them, as well as the physical credentials themselves) more reflect how the actual MLB calendar works, by series. This would have another benefit of allowing the league to print substantially fewer badges per season.
Previous updates to Credentials
This was the second significant project I worked on for the Credentials application. The first key feature I worked on is the postseason grids feature. Because of the postseason grids feature, I already had a good relationship with the stakeholders and had a sense of their tastes/feelings about the application. Because these stakeholders were very opinionated, we started by talking with the key stakeholders from the MLB PR department who asked for the change from applying by the game to applying by the series.
Updating the application flow
With the needs and concerns of the PR department stakeholders, team PR managers, and Affiliate managers(the person creating credential applications) well established, I created a new process flow. The updated process flow would take the same basic application flow, add the ability to multi-select games, and add one new step. This step will allow the affiliate managers to select which affiliate member attended which game.
Diagraming the application back-end
While MLB like the concept for the flexibility it gave the affiliate manager, They were a bit wary about what this could mean for their data and record-keeping as their records are based on the concept of one application per affiliate. Because of this MLB wanted to be clear about how going from a “apply by game” model to an “apply by series” model would affect their ability to edit and alter preferences for individual games within a series application. After clarifying and discussing with our development team we came up with two distinct ways to handle what happens to application data. I then created diagrams to present these two options to our MLB stakeholders.
Adding complexity to the UI to eliminate process steps
While we end up adding some new elements to the UI (accordions, multi-select options, extra dropdowns to allow switching between games) they all ultimately result in less repetitive steps. Since affiliate managers create only one application for every 3-4 games. This becomes even more relevant for PR managers for teams, as they can now approve an entire series application at one time greatly speeding up their process. However, because we did not want to eliminate the ability to approve on a game by game basis it was important to have a way for PR managers to continue to approve by individual game.
Select games: Sketch to mockup
Due to the ask of no major changes to the look and feel of the Credentials web application, in addition to a strongly defined style guide, it was very easy for me to go straight from sketches to a medium or high fidelity mockup. This allowed us to rapidly iterate ideas with stakeholders for how users will navigate applying by series instead of by individual games. This also alleviated one of the major concerns for MLB, making sure the application process would be largely the same and not unfamiliar to the affiliate manager users.
Select coverage: Sketch to mockup
The select coverage screen was a completely new step in the application process. While it went through several tweaks, through feedback from the stakeholders viewing of early high fidelity mockups, it generally stayed true to my original sketch. This allowed the affiliate manager to manage a single game or a full series by simply adding or removing a column. This allowed affiliate managers who are used to applying a game at a time to continue to do so, while still showing them they have the option. And once they do begin to use it, its just a matter of repeating the process you are already doing in one column.
