And that’s why we’re thrilled that the International Biathlon Union (IBU) app that we worked on won a Red Dot on October 28, 2022. The IBU app won the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication in the Sport Apps subcategory. The app was chosen because of its engaging and user-friendly design that helps to bring the biathlon closer to its fans.
The project started from the concept and initial UI design that creative studio IONA provided. From that, Vincit delivered the finished product including finalizing the user-experience and architecting the digital platform using various cloud technologies.
Designing an award-winning app
So how does one go about creating an award-winning app? Customer insight was the key – talking with real fans and finding out what use cases would make the most sense to include. This info was used to build the concept, which was then tested and validated. To turn the concept into a product, Vincit’s tailored approach used a wide range of versatile tools and innovative development opportunities. We took care of the whole design and development of the new digital ecosystem, building on the original concept work by IONA. The cloud infrastructure and API-first architecture ensure that the new ecosystem is modern, scalable, and secure.
“As a designer, the chance to build this modern ecosystem for sports fans around the globe was something unique. The collaboration model was the key to the success of this project – a product like this could not have been built without close cooperation,” says Mikko Nuuttila, Lead Designer on the Vincit IBU team.
The app, which is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, provides live updates from every single IBU competition. The app also includes information on athletes and teams, competition statistics, and athletes’ profiles. Users can follow their favorite biathletes and receive athlete-specific statistics and performance data. All race stats and insights are easily available on one user-friendly platform and fans also have access to exclusive clips and photography.
Building on success
Creating this app tapped into a larger trend in sports, where immersive and interactive digital experiences are growing in popularity. Following this approach, the IBU wanted to create a new digital ecosystem that would promote the biathlon to new audiences, grow its fan base, and increase fan engagement.
And we didn’t stop at the first iteration of the service. Vincit has also implemented the latest updates of the IBU app which integrates event services for fans at IBU World Cups and World Championships. Fans attending these events now get direct notifications from the organizers so they don’t miss anything important. All necessary information and updates on travel, tickets, and schedules for every event can be found in the new “Venue” section of the app – helping the IBU to provide the best app experience possible for its fans.
Want to learn more? Read the IBU app case.
