What is SBK?
SBK is a modern sports betting app that offers, on average, substantially better odds on the biggest sports events vs. competing bookmakers. SBK also has a unique, community-led social betting network, where users can share their betting tips with others. You can see who is on a hot streak, compete with friends to climb the leaderboard, and share your best bets - like your weekend accumulator - with your followers.
The Task
When I joined the project, my role was to reimagine the user experience, update a dated interface, and improve engagement with the community tools that were hidden deep inside the app. I worked across the full design process: research, information architecture, prototyping, testing, visual design, and design system development.
The challenge was clear: users struggled to find key betting flows, social features weren’t being discovered, and the interface felt visually outdated. The goal was to improve usability and discoverability, modernize the UI, and drive measurable improvements in user engagement and satisfaction.
The existing app
The layout felt dated and didn't match the modern feeling the brand wanted to portray.
Discovery & Research
The process began with stakeholder interviews to understand business goals and technical limitations. At the same time, I ran a competitive review of major sportsbooks such as Bet365 and DraftKings, looking at their navigation models, promotions, and community tools. These comparisons helped highlight both industry standards and opportunities for differentiation.
To understand user pain points, I combined surveys, lightweight usability testing, and persona creation. In one survey of 40 participants, more than half admitted they struggled to compare odds clearly, while many didn’t understand the community features.
In a small usability test, five participants tried to place a multiples bet on the existing interface: it took an average of thirty seconds and the success rate was barely sixty percent. These early findings shaped personas such as “Casual Carl”, an occasional bettor who values clarity, and “Analytical Ali”, a data-driven user who thrives on odds comparison and community insights.
Defining the Problem
The research revealed two primary issues: the betting flows were difficult to navigate, and the community features were buried. In short, users couldn’t easily find the tools they needed, and the design language no longer reflected the speed and clarity expected of a modern betting app.
Prototyping & Testing
Low-fidelity prototypes were built in Figma and tested with a fresh round of participants. This time, users placed a multiples bet in less than half the time, and the success rate jumped to ninety percent. When the new onboarding screens were introduced, participants were twenty-five percent more likely to notice and explore the community features.
These tests informed several rounds of refinement. For example, users responded better to icon-plus-label navigation rather than icon-only, and “hot tip” badges increased clicks on community content. Iteration was central: each cycle of testing led to meaningful adjustments.
Design System
Alongside flows and prototypes, I developed a component library and design system to unify the experience. The system included reusable cards, buttons, forms, and modal patterns, all governed by token-based theming for easy adaptation.
Accessibility was a focus, with type scales tuned for readability and color palettes adjusted to meet WCAG contrast requirements. The system also supported both light and dark themes, ensuring users had flexibility while maintaining consistenc
Introducing Modality
Using modality on critical functionality to focus people’s attention on making a choice or performing a task that’s different from their current task. A modal experience takes people out of their current context and requires an action to dismiss, so it’s essential to use it only when it provides a clear benefit such as placing a bet.
The Redesign
The redesigned interface brought a modern, confident feel to SBK Sportsbook. The home dashboard surfaced core actions and community highlights at a glance. The bet placement flow became streamlined with clear input fields and prominent action buttons. The community leaderboard gained visual energy through avatars, streak indicators, and share options that invited engagement.
The result was not just a new look, but a more discoverable, more social, and ultimately more enjoyable betting experience.
Results & Impact
Within three months of launch, SBK’s Net Promoter Score rose by twenty percent. App store ratings climbed to 4.6 on iOS and 4.1 on Android. Multiples bets increased by over a third, average session times extended by fifteen percent, and engagement with social features grew by forty percent.