Messaging hub redesign
Role
Solo Product designer
Duration
3 weeks from concept to handoff
Platform
Native Android & iOS, Web App (Mobile-first approach)
Business Problem: Feature Adoption: Users were not using Chat which is the core function of the app, and we need more customers (Clubs) and hence we need to improve current feature adoption (Chat in the app) before we aim for more customer acquisition.
Users Problem: The current feature is messy, important information gets lost, it is difficult to monitor one's kid account.
What I did: Improved information architecture & usability and added access control to the core in-app messaging feature, increasing app adoption & active users as well as becoming a key feature in sales conversation.
User Impact
- Personal data protection: no need to share personal contact with other members (GDPR compliant)
- One place to manage all club communication
- Clearer team communication
Business impact
- Mobile app adoption increased after messaging launched
- Became a key feature in sales conversations with larger clubs
- Addressed gap in how clubs coordinate day-to-day
Key Decisions
- Grouped messages by team to avoid confusion
- Limited thread pinning to coaches to avoid noise
- Updated the UI gradually to stay consistent with the rest of the app
Goal
The research focused on who our users are, what they want to achieve, and how they currently communicate within clubs.
Methodology
I combined interviews with customer support (club admins and members feedback) and stakeholders (business stakes) with a competitor analysis and benchmarking of popular messaging tools.
The messaging feature wasn't built for communication across teams and roles
Messaging already existed in the app, but it wasn't structured around how clubs actually communicate. Members belong to multiple teams, parents need access to their children's conversations, and coaches need control over who sees what. As conversations grew, important updates got lost. Clubs filled the gaps with scattered tools like with email and WhatsApp, with no system built for these specific needs.
Coach and members adoption was the path to bigger clients
Addressing how clubs really communicate would drive coach and member adoption, and give the app weight in sales pitches to medium and large clubs (1,000+ and 3,000+ members), bringing in more clients. That required a messaging hub with a clear and intuitive structure that supports different roles.
User flow designed to address the gap in how clubs communicate
Designing for members, coaches, and parents
The messaging hub was designed to reflect how clubs communicate day to day, where people move between teams and roles.
The focus was on structure and clarity, so conversations remain easy to access and manage as usage grows.
I validated the design through prototypes shown to sales teams, leadership, and key client representatives before development, adjusting thread organization and access controls based on their feedback.
Solutions Chat
Solution, Julian B, Anja K, Tobias N
Julian B. (coach)
I need all my team chats in one place, even if I don't have everyone's contact.
Solution
Here's your message hub: threads are organized by team and your role (Team Lead or Member). Everyone on the team can be added to a thread.
Julian B. (coach)
Nice! But important threads gets lost...
Solution
Got it! You can pin important threads so they stay at the top and don't get lost.
Anja K. (member & mother of 2)
My 6- and 9-year-old kids are also in the club, so I need access to their team chats too.
Solution
You can easily switch between your chats and those of the members you manage.
Tobias N. (member)
Can I pick who's in a thread? We're planning a surprise for our coach…
Solution
No problem! You can choose who to message. Just select specific team members or coaches instead of the whole group. You can also add or remove participants from an existing thread at any time.
Your message...
Ensuring consistency across mobile and web
The messaging experience needed to work consistently across the native mobile app and the member space on web. Core behaviors such as conversation structure, pinned threads, and profile switching for minor accounts were aligned across platforms.
Building UI patterns that could scale
Messaging required new UI patterns.
I introduced vertical modals and member cards to support selection flows and future reuse across the app.
Clubs moved their communication in-app
Messaging became a reliable way for clubs to communicate inside their own app. Team-based conversations and role-aware access made it easier to share updates and documents in a GDPR-compliant environment, without relying on external messaging tools.
The launch drove a significant increase in app adoption, with coaches and members responding positively across clubs.
