Most basketball players believe
they are the best on the court
BallUp
Imagine putting players in a real life one vs one
Figma
After Effects
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.
Directions
Most basketball players believe
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 / UX 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.
Old Menu Bar
Redesigned Menu Bar
Identity System
Design System
DIN
Text Font
KNEWAVE
Background Font
Live Events Border
Button Border
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.