The project came with a number of difficulties, such as working with offshore development teams, integrating with the PFF (Platform for Football) system already in place, and striking a balance between the best possible design solutions and the realities of practical execution.

One of the most significant challenges was ensuring that our design selections took into account implications upon other areas within the organisation, in addition to aesthetics. The PFF system required a comprehensive approach to each design decision since it was intricately linked to outreach programs, marketing campaigns, and development components.

We used a Double Diamond technique, which we modified to function inside an Agile framework, to address these issues. Our process ensured that design always remained ahead of execution by using one month sprints, staggered by two weeks to keep design ahead of development. We were able to be flexible and still complete the project within the tight timeframe thanks to this method.

As the entire development team were based overseas, utilising resources such as Teams and JIRA were essential for ensuring effective contact and guaranteeing the project's completion to a high standard.

We divided the features into three categories based on our work to be done: ideal, nice to have, and critical for basic function. We were able to plan for future improvements and concentrate on providing a working MVP using this general prioritisation criteria. I kept a close eye on accessibility the entire time, striving to ensure a minimum level of AA (WCAG) without sacrificing usability and still ensuring a visually appealing platform to use at the end.

My role in the project included every area of UI and UX, from creating new assets, and conducting interviews, to designing the overall structure to present information between different areas of interaction.

To effectively manage the project timetable, we set intra-sprint deadlines and regular check-ins for each feature, this kept us on track and promoted responsibility across all involved teams; design, product, and development.

There were occasions when the ideal solution couldn't be developed right away, due to the complex nature of the PFF.

In these cases we devised a two pronged strategy. We would develop an MVP that could be immediately developed and released in the short term. In the meantime we would design and schedule updates in future sprints to incorporate features that may need longer to develop correctly and take through QA.

Although the portal has yet to be officially released, initial tests provided very encouraging results. Test users were able to enter match data in 5-10 minutes, which is a major increase over the non-digital method - which through anecdotal evidence suggested 3 - 5 hours

"I'd have to set aside both evenings over the weekend sometime."

This efficiency advantage is projected to significantly enhance the workflow of referees and officials at all levels of English football.

The success of this project saw my contract being extended, allowing me to work on other projects for other FA, including; a revamped player registration flow. While the Referee Portal is not necessarily public facing and hence unlikely to earn industry recognition, its influence on football administration efficiency is anticipated to be substantial, both from within the FA and from the match officials I spoke to in my time in the role.

The Referee Portal is expected to launch for the 2024/25 football season.

The below are an assortment of desktop screens, I have not included final designs, nor designs that require context to understand (such as mobile flows) in part due to their complexity and due to NDA restrictions - I would be more than happy to discuss and show any designs during an interview.

NB: I am using an iFrame which may take a second to allow scrolling, especially on mobile.