INDYCAR
Fan Engagement: Predictive Experiences for a New Generation of Fans
Project Overview
Project Title: IndyCarFan Engagement Platform (Super Indy)
Context: AcademicUX Design Project in collaboration with Penske Entertainment / INDYCAR
Role: UXDesigner, UX Researcher, Product Strategist
Timeline: 5 months (Academic Project)
Team: A team of 3 HCI students
The Challenge
Motorsports organizations are competing in a digital-first entertainment landscape. While INDYCAR has a loyal fan base and strong heritage, the existing mobile application lacked modern engagement features and interactive fan participation. The experience felt outdated, navigation was overwhelming, and opportunities for real-time interaction were limited.
How might we increase fan engagement in the INDYCAR mobile application by introducing interactive, predictive, and community-driven experiences that are scalable and feasible?
My contribution and Impact
I contributed across the full UX lifecycle, taking ownership from early research and product strategy through design execution and evaluation. My work involved conducting background and competitive research, facilitating ideation and brainstorming workshops, and translating insights into low-, mid-, and high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes. I led heuristic evaluations and usability testing sessions, analyzed qualitative feedback, and iterated on designs based on user and expert insights. These efforts ensured the final solution balanced user needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility while delivering an engaging and scalable fan experience.
Discovering the Problem through Research
We employed a mixed-methods research approach to understand both user behaviors and industry-level challenges impacting fan engagement in motorsports applications.
Key Research Methods:
Client Interviews: Conducted discussions with the INDYCAR sponsor to understand business goals, technical constraints, and expectations for fan engagement.
Competitive Analysis: Analyzed engagement strategies used by comparable platforms including Formula 1, NASCAR, fantasy sports apps, and polling-based experiences.
Heuristic Evaluation: Performed usability audits of the existing INDYCAR mobile application to identify interaction, navigation, and accessibility issues.
Ideation & Brainstorming: acilitated individual (Crazy 8s) and group brainstorming sessions to explore a wide range of fan engagement concepts.
Key Findings:
Our research surfaced several critical challenges:
Outdated User Interface
The existing app felt visually dated and did not meet modern mobile UX standards.
Low Fan Interactivity
Fans had limited opportunities to actively participate during live races.
Overloaded Navigation
Excessive menu options created confusion and increased cognitive load.
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Missed Engagement Opportunities
The platform underutilized features such as polls, personalization, and real-time fan feedback.
Exploring Design Directions
Based on early research, we explored three initial directions:
INDY NXT Awareness: Promoting the junior racing series
AR/VR Experiences: Immersive technologies for fan engagement
Predictive Analysis & Live Interaction: Polls, voting, and real-time fan participation
After evaluating technical feasibility, scalability, and user adoption, the team aligned on predictive analysis and interactive fan engagement combined as the primary direction.
Designing the Solution: Super Indy
The final solution, Super Indy, is an interactive feature integrated into the INDYCAR mobile application that allows fans to actively engage before, during, and after races.
Key Design Decisions:
We treated fan engagement as an ongoing, real-time experience, rather than a passive content consumption model. The goal was to make fans feel invested in race outcomes through prediction, competition, and social interaction.
Predictive Polls
Fans vote on race outcomes, strategies, and performance metrics
Driver of the Day Voting
Live fan voting inspired by Formula 1
Live Updates
Improved real-time commentary using text, audio, and visual snapshots
Fantasy-Style Gameplay
Users create virtual teams using credits and earn points based on real race results
Trivia & Notifications
Daily trivia and race-related facts to encourage return visits
Personalization
Favorite drivers, teams, and race preferences
Validation & Refinement
We validated our designs through heuristic evaluations, think-aloud usability testing, and expert/client feedback.
Key Feedback and Iteration:
During usability testing and evaluation, several key issues were identified, including the lack of onboarding and clear explanations for newly introduced features, confusion around the credit system, progress indicators, and game rules, as well as missing exit or cancel options during gameplay. Users also struggled with insufficient system feedback and limited visibility into their current status.
To address these issues, we iterated on the design by introducing onboarding and instructional screens, improving progress indicators with clear labels and step-by-step guidance, and implementing persistent credit tracking across screens. We also added exit and cancel actions to give users greater control and flexibility, and enhanced access to driver and race information to support informed decision-making and improve overall usability.
The Final Prototype
Impact & Reflection
This project highlighted the importance of designing for engagement within real-world constraints such as legacy systems and existing brand ecosystems.
Learnings:
Engagement Drives Loyalty: Interactive features transform passive viewers into active participants.
Clarity is Critical: Gamified systems require strong onboarding and transparency.
Iteration Improves Confidence: Usability testing uncovered critical gaps not visible internally.
Feasibility Matters: Strong ideas must align with technical and business realities.
Super Indy demonstrates how UX strategy and thoughtful interaction design can strengthen fan communities, modernize legacy platforms, and create excitement beyond the race itself.
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