Kethan Sivarapu

CHALLENGES

This project pushed me in ways I didn’t expect. The goal was to design an app that connects basketball players, but not just through logistics or schedules. I wanted it to feel like the sport itself: competitive, expressive, and alive. The real challenge was figuring out how to tap into players’ egos, drive, and pride, while still keeping the experience lighthearted and fun.

At first, I played it safe, relying on familiar design habits. But the project demanded more, it needed energy, emotion, and attitude. Once I began to lean into that spirit, the idea evolved naturally, shaping what eventually became BALLUP, an app that captures both the rivalry and camaraderie of the game.

INSIGHTS / DIRECTIONS

Most basketball players believe they are the best on the court

player play each other
1-on-1 to determine who is a better player

players Want to know who the best player around them is

EXPLORATIONS

Before diving into visuals, I focused on defining the structure of the app. Mapping out the flow through lo-fi sketches helped clarify what BALLUP needed to do, and how users would move through it. These early drawings became a blueprint for the experience, outlining how players discover matchups, track performance, and connect with others.

UI ITERATIONS

As BALLUP evolved from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity designs, the challenge shifted toward capturing emotion through the interface itself. Every color, type choice, and motion had to communicate the energy of competition. Translating that raw intensity into a clean, functional design wasn’t easy, but breaking through those creative barriers led to a final product that felt authentic to the spirit of the game.

UX ITERATIONS

Early versions of the app were packed with features that diluted its purpose. BALLUP’s strength lies in the matchups, the head-to-head moments that drive players to compete. By refining the features and re-designing the menu bar, the design became sharper, more focused, and truer to what makes the concept compelling: the thrill of facing off.

IDENTITY SYSTEM

DESIGN SYSTEM

I focused on defining a visual system that captured the bold and competitive tone of BALLUP. Basketball culture thrives on confidence and individuality, so every design element needed to reflect that same energy while remaining cohesive and intuitive.

TEXT FONT

BACKGROUND FONT

LIVE EVENTS BORDER

BUTTON BORDER

ICONS

DATE PICKER

FINAL PROTOTYPES

CONCLUSION

BALLUP began as a simple idea, to connect basketball players, but evolved into a deeper exploration of competition, emotion, and identity. Through each stage, from rough sketches to refined prototypes, the project became a reflection of the game itself: fast-paced, expressive, and driven by passion.

Designing BALLUP taught me how to translate cultural energy into interaction design, how visuals, motion, and structure can capture a feeling as much as they deliver a function. In the end, BALLUP isn’t just an app about basketball. It’s a digital court where players can showcase their confidence, challenge others, and live out the spirit of the game on and off the screen.