The product
Spike Booking is a sports slot booking platform that allows users to book indoor and outdoor sports slots via mobile and web. The Admin Dashboard is a backend web application designed to help facility managers efficiently manage slots, pricing, and bookings.
The problem
Manual Processes: Updating slot availability and pricing manually is time-consuming.
Lack of Automation: No centralized system to manage bookings and payments.
Poor Analytics: Difficulty in tracking booking trends and revenue.
The goal
Simplifies slot and pricing management.
Provides real-time insights into bookings and revenue.
Enhances productivity for facility managers.
Role
UX designer designing from conception to delivery.
Responsibilities
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
Research: summary
To deeply understand the challenges and needs of both facility admins and customers, I conducted user interviews
Key Insights:
Admins (gym owners, sports arena managers) struggle with manual booking processes, leading to errors and lost revenue.
Customers find it frustrating to call for availability or face last-minute cancellations due to poor sync.
Existing solutions lack real-time updates, integrated payments, and analytics—creating inefficiencies for both sides.
Pain Points
Manual slot/pricing updates are slow and error-prone.
No centralized dashboard for bookings or revenue tracking.
Overbookings due to lack of real-time sync.
For Admins:
No easy way to check availability or compare prices.
Cancellation/refund processes are unclear.
Reliance on calls/emails for bookings.
For Customers
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Location: Toronto, ON
Occupation: Owner of Spike
Education: Bachelor’s in Sports Science
David Chen
Background
Former athlete turned entrepreneur. Manages a
multi-sport facility with Badminton, table tennis.
Goals
Optimize facility usage with dynamic pricing for prime time vs. off-peak hours.
Reduce no-shows with automated reminders and prepayments.
Grow membership base with promo codes and subscription plans.
Pain Points
Double bookings from phone/email reservations.
Manual reconciliation of payments (e-transfers, cash, credit cards).
Lost revenue due to last-minute cancellations (no penalty system).
Facility Admin
Persona
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Location: Mississauga, ON
Occupation: IT
Education: Bachelors
Emily Parker
Background
Emily is a multitasking pro who balances work, family, and her love for staying active. On weekends, she shuffles between her son’s table tennis practices and her Badminton—all while trying to sneak in family time. She relies on tech to simplify her chaos, from
meal-planning apps to shared Google Calendars.
Goals
Book family activities (Badminton and table tennis) in one place.
Sync bookings with Google Calendar to avoid conflicts.
Pain Points
"Sold out" slots after driving to the facility.
No group booking options (e.g., reserve 5 badminton courts for friends).
Inconsistent policies across facilities (some allow refunds, others don’t).
Customer
User Story
Admin
"As a facility manager, I want to add/edit prices for slots so I can adjust demand dynamically.”
Customer
"As a user, I want to filter slots by price/location so I can book quickly.”
User journey map Emily Parker
Low-fidelity wireframes
High-fidelity (Admin web)
Impact
60% faster slot management.
30% fewer booking errors.
For Admins:
75% shorter booking time.
40% fewer cancellations due to reminders.
For Customers:
High-fidelity (Customer App)
Customer App
Admin Web
