Problem Space

I started by exploring both the UCSD Recreation website and mobile app to figure out where the real friction was happening. I went in expecting small usability flaws, but what I found was a bigger disconnect.

The website was mostly functional, although slightly outdated visually. It had booking features, class schedules, and general campus rec info. But the app was practically non-functional. Tapping on almost any button led users straight into a browser window. Several users I spoke with said they deleted it within minutes of downloading.

And this was not just my experience. When I checked the app store, the UC Rec app had 1-star ratings across the board, showing the same complaints I was already encountering.

At that point, it became clear:

If students are not using the app, it’s not because they don’t need it–it’s because it isn’t working for them.

Competitive and Comparative Analysis

Before committing to a redesign, I wanted to understand how UC San Diego’s recreation platform compared to other UC schools. So I conducted a comparative analysis of both the websites and mobile apps used by recreation departments across several campuses, including: UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Riverside.

I looked at the overall structure, booking systems, mobile responsiveness (on websites), and usability of their mobile apps.

Many campuses used nearly identical app structures, and shared the same flaws: redirect-heavy interfaces that sent users back to the web, difficult navigation, inconsistent visuals, limited functionality and extremely low ratings.

Most of the UC recreation websites were clean, navigable, and generally functional. They typically included access to schedules, event info, and court bookings. While some were more visually polished than others, the core functionality was there, even if the interfaces weren’t perfect.

While the websites were generally usable, the mobile apps were consistently broken, underutilized, and frustrating to interact with.This confirmed that the most impactful redesign opportunity wasn’t on the web—it was in rethinking the mobile experience.

Research Goals and Interviews

I was especially curious why the mobile app had such poor reviews and whether the website was actually meeting users' needs any better. My goal was to learn what users were doing across both platforms, where their frustrations were coming from, and what expectations they had when trying to book a court, register for a class, or find basic information. I also wanted to understand their device habits—whether they primarily accessed UC Rec through their phones, laptops, or other tools—and what they wished the experience felt like.

After speaking with 10 UCSD students, a clear pattern emerged: while many interacted with UC Rec services regularly, most actively avoided the mobile app. Students described it as frustrating and unfinished, since nearly every action opened in a browser anyway.

The website, while slightly more functional, wasn’t much better. Users said it felt overwhelming and cluttered, especially when trying to complete tasks quickly on a phone. They often had to click around multiple times just to find what they were looking for.

What students really wanted was a tool that felt fast, functional, and personalized—something that could help them book in just a few taps, check availability, and stay logged in. Ultimately, I learned that the need wasn’t the issue—it was the experience that was getting in the way.

Synthesis

Personas and Empathy

I created two core personas—a UCSD undergraduate student and a faculty member—each with different motivations and habits when it comes to staying active on campus. To better understand their perspectives, I also developed an empathy map to explore what users think, feel, do, and say throughout their interaction with UC Rec.

User Journeys and Design Focus

Next, I mapped out user journeys to capture how a student might book a gym facility and how a faculty member might sign up for a strength class. These helped identify key friction points, especially around booking, navigation, and login flow. I then wrote user stories to frame user needs from their perspective and used this to generate a guiding “How Might We” statement:

How might we improve the UC Rec mobile app so users no longer have to rely on the website?

User Flow

Out of all the needs uncovered in my research, the most common and frustrating one was this: students wanted a simple way to book a court. The current mobile app made this process feel confusing, disconnected, and unintuitive, often redirecting users to a separate browser page mid-flow.

To address this, I focused on designing a clear and seamless in-app court booking experience based on my student persona. I started by mapping out the ideal user flow, imagining what it would look like for a student to open the app and book a court in just a few taps without redirections and confusion.

Wireframing

Using this flow as a guide, I sketched a series of wireframes that prioritized clarity, quick actions, and real-time feedback—so the user always knows where they are in the process. This step laid the foundation for what would later become the core interaction in my high-fidelity prototype.

Prototyping

After wireframing, I moved into Figma to build a mid-fidelity prototype, refining the layout and flow of key screens, especially the court booking process. At this stage, I focused on functionality and structure over visuals, adding basic interactions so users could click through the experience and get a feel for how the app would work end-to-end.

Once the core flows were tested and refined, I moved on to fully fleshing out the high-fidelity prototype. I focused on three main flows:

1. User login, with SSO and public access options

2. Court booking flow, designed for clarity and speed

3. QR check-in, which triggers a notification banner that confirms a successful check-in

I aimed to make the app feel clean, purposeful, and far more functional than the original. While visual design wasn’t the main goal, I still paid close attention to layout, consistency, and the UCSD brand identity.

Usability Testing and Iteration

To test my high-fidelity prototype, I asked a few UCSD students who regularly use UC Recreation to try it out and walk through the core flows. Their feedback revealed a few key opportunities for improvement.

One suggestion was to add a notification reminder before a court reservation, so users wouldn’t forget their upcoming session. Another was to provide feedback after scanning the QR code to confirm that check-in was successful.

Based on this, I created a few additional screens to address those points—making the booking and check-in experience feel more complete, intuitive, and usable.