The Fencing Database
The Fencing Database is a website created to be a video and information database for the international fencing community. The site includes videos and information from tournaments across the world, including world cups and grand prix events.
Objectives: Improve the design and functionality of the website, including the fantasy fencing tool
Role: UX/UI design, research, user flow, wireframes, prototype
Problem: The website was not optimized for mobile; the website branding and overall style needed a refresh; Fantasy Fencing tool was not user-friendly
Research
Feedback from Current Users
Overall website design is outdated
Needs a homepage that reflects what the site does
Not optimized for mobile
Database search functionality and the Fantasy Fencing tool need improvements
Compared to many other sports, the fencing community is fairly small. It’s not unheard of, nationally or internationally, for fencers to encounter Olympians or world champions during competition.
With the size of the community, fencers are extremely tight knit and like to keep up with what’s happening in that world. Many fencers depend on YouTube and sites like The Fencing Database to keep them in the loop. The Fantasy Fencing aspect of the database also provides a communal aspect. Since few other websites offer this data, Fencing Database is a key resource for those who wish to stay up to date with the community.
User Persona
Audience: International fencing community; largest audience within community are fencers under the age of 20
User Persona
Name: Fencer
Age: 18
Career: Fences on college team
Detail: Currently fences on a college team. Has aspirations to fence at the highest levels. Wants to study the sport and get better through studying videos. Wants to keep up with stats from international fencers and is looking for info on the sport. Is looking for a way to connect with the international fencing community.
Problem: The fencer got onto their college team this year. They have aspirations to fence at the highest levels. One way to do this is to study videos and stats from international fencers. While Youtube is a great resource for videos, but it does not have all the data the fencer wants.
Solution: Improve design and functionality of The Fencing Database
User Flow
Home—>Wiki, Fantasy Fencing, Database, Blog
Fantasy Fencing—>About FF, Tournament Results, Account
Account—>Fantasy Draft, Sign in—>Sign Up
Menu/Header—>Wiki, FF, Database, Contact, Patreon, Ko-Fi, Merch
Wiki, Patreon, Merch—>External Site
Ideate
The new design will improve the overall aesthetic and function of the site, while maintaining the reasons why it’s a vital resource for the fencing community. The Home page will function as a hub for the website, and the functionality of the Fantasy Fencing and Video Database tools will improve. As a result, the overall website design will be more modern and user-friendly.
Wireframes
Design
The final design offers a fresh take on The Fencing Database. The home page now serves as a hub for the website, with the addition of an improved site header for the web version and hamburger menu for the mobile version. The functionality and design of all pages is more user-friendly, and it’s more clear how users are supposed to use tools like Fantasy Fencing. The result is a website that fencers can use more easily to stay in the loop about the sport they love. The new design also includes clearer links to blog pages, the fencing wiki, and other external links.
Mobile States
Web States
