Mobile phone displaying a pickleball app interface, listing nearby pickleball games and courts. Background includes pickleball paddles and balls.

Pickleball Pro

Pickleball Pro is the ultimate hub for pickleball enthusiasts. Whether you’re looking to find and reserve courts, connect with players at your skill level, or access expert-led drills to refine your game, this app streamlines everything into one seamless experience. No more endless searches or mismatched games—Pickleball Pro makes it easy to play more, improve faster, and enjoy the game to the fullest.

Understanding the Players: User Research & Personas

I dove deep into the world of pickleball to understand what players truly need. Through research, I uncovered three major pain points:

​Finding and reserving courts—Players struggle to locate available courts, especially at peak hours.

  • Connecting with similarly skilled players—Many players want competitive matches but find it hard to meet others at their level.

  • Accessing high-quality training—Drills and tutorials are scattered, often catering to beginners rather than experienced players.

Meet Peter Pickle

Peter is full-time financial advisor and after work he loves to play pickleball. He enjoys going to his local courts, but at times he gets bored playing at the same courts and playing the same skilled players. He would like to find new courts and meet new players that are in the same level as he or in a higher level. He likes to watch videos on YouTube on ways to improve his game but feels that most videos he has seen on Youtube are geared to newer players. 

Illustration of a person with a headband and collared shirt in front of a yellow background.

Peter Pickle

Age: 45
Job Title: Financial Advisor
Salary: $90k
Education: Master Degree
Plays Pickleball: 3-4 times a week

Goals:

  • Play pickleball as often as possible

  • Find competitive matches 

  • Improve skills with advanced drills

Frustrations:

  • Struggles to find and book courts

  • Hard to meet players at his skill level

  • Limited access to high-level training

Behaviours:

  • Avid player of pickle ball

  • Motivated to improving his pickleball skills 

  • Willing to take on new drills and challenges in pickleball

  • Familiar with mobile apps

  • Plays tennis as well

Competitor Analysis:
Where We Stand

I analyzed key competitors to identify gaps and opportunities:

  • Pickleheads – Helps players find courts and games but lacks skill-based matchmaking.

  • Pickleball Drills – Focuses on skill-building but doesn’t help players find games.

  • My Pickleball Coach – A paid coaching app, great for guidance but not accessible to all.

  • Pickleball FYI – A comprehensive knowledge base, but lacks interactive features.

What sets Pickleball Pro apart? It combines court reservations, matchmaking, and professional-level training in one app—something no competitor fully delivers.

Solving the Problem:
From Discovery to Execution

Based on my research, I designed a solution that:

  • Simplifies court reservations with a GPS-based system.

  • Matches players by skill level for competitive and social games.

  • Provides structured, high-quality instructional content beyond beginner-level tutorials.

By focusing on usability and engagement, the app ensures players get what they need.

Mapping the Experience: Journey & Navigation

To enhance the user experience, I created a journey map to visualize pain points and streamline navigation. The result?

  • A clean, three-step court booking process (Find → Reserve → Play)

  • Skill-based matchmaking directly from the dashboard

  • A dedicated training hub with personalized drill recommendations

This simplified approach removes friction, keeping users focused on the game, not the logistics.

Flowcharts for finding and reserving courts, and drills and tutorials in an app interface.

From Concept to Design: Sketches & Wireframes

Before finalizing the design, I created sketches and wireframes to refine navigation and user flow.

  • Simplified court reservations for easy booking

  • Streamlined matchmaking for skill-based connections

  • Structured training hub for advanced skill-building

Through iterations and usability testing, I improved accessibility and content hierarchy, ensuring Pickleball Pro is intuitive and player-focused.

Mobile app showing pickleball sessions with schedule buttons and navigation icons at the bottom.

Final Design: Bringing Pickleball Pro to Life

After multiple iterations, Pickleball Pro’s high-fidelity design brings a polished, intuitive experience to players. The final design focuses on:

  • A seamless court reservation system with an interactive map

  • An engaging matchmaking feature for skill-based connections

  • A visually structured training hub with premium drills and tutorials

  • A bold, energetic UI that reflects the sport’s dynamic nature

With vibrant colors, intuitive navigation, and a player-first experience, Pickleball Pro is designed to make playing, connecting, and improving effortless.

Smartphone screen displaying a pickleball app with "Nearby Games" section. Featured games: Marine Park, Prospect Park, and Cunningham Park Pickleball Courts. Includes dates, times, locations in Brooklyn and Queens, and schedule buttons. Bottom navigation bar with icons for Home, Courts, Create, Games, and Saved.