SEATTLE, WA — (Marketwired) — 10/01/13 — , the leading user experience research and design firm, announced that they have completed a major User-Centered Design project on behalf of the . Blink UX was selected by the Sounders to conduct User Research, Interaction Design, Visual Design and Usability Testing to create the Sounders- first MatchPass loyalty rewards program and website.
“Sounders fans are among the most dedicated of any team in any sports league in the country. We-re always looking for new and innovative ways to reward that loyalty so we-ve partnered with one of the nation-s most respected user experience firms to help us identify the types of experiences fans value most,” said Kenton Olson, Director of Digital Media & Emerging Media at Seattle Sounders FC. “We selected Blink UX because they take a highly integrated and scientific design approach that is centered on extensive end-user research. We believe the new MatchPass program is one of the most innovative loyalty programs in all of sports, and we-ve been overwhelmed by the positive response of our fans since its unveiling.”
The Sounders engaged Blink UX to conduct two research studies. The first was a user research study in which Blink UX interviewed Sounders FC fans in the Blink UX research lab as well as field research before and after Sounders FC games. The objective of the research was to understand what types of experiences fans valued the most and how those experiences could be integrated into a rewards program that would appeal to season ticket holders. The second study was a website usability study in which Sounders FC season ticket holders were observed performing key tasks on an interactive prototype of the Sounders FC Rewards website to better understand and evaluate the experience. Following delivery of the Usability Testing findings report, the Blink UX team revised the prototype, incorporating the end-user feedback into the design.
“Very few professional sports franchises have made this kind of effort to understand what their fans really want. All of our work begins with detailed end-user research so it was especially gratifying to work with the Sounders since they are truly an end-user focused organization,” said Karen Clark Cole, CEO of Blink UX. “During the course of this project, we had the opportunity to conduct extensive interviews with dozens of Sounders fans to better understand the types of experiences they most value. The Sounders organization then applied those findings to create the MatchPass loyalty program specifically for their fans, demonstrating how knowing and designing for your users can make all the difference in customer engagement and adoption.”
To watch a case study video of the project, visit the
Founded in 2000, Blink UX is a Seattle-based user experience research and design firm dedicated to helping clients achieve their business goals through a flexible user-centered design approach. Blink-s evidence-driven design(SM) services help companies who depend on technology take the guesswork out of delivering great user experiences. Blink UX has worked with hundreds of clients ranging in size and type from start-ups to Fortune 100, including Starbucks, Disney, Apple and Microsoft across the healthcare, finance, travel and consumer industries.
Robert Nachbar
Kismet Communications
206-427-0389
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