Starcks — Football fandom × digital economy

Project type

About the project

Starcks is a project that wants to unlock the power of engagement between Fans and Stars through the Blockchain, allowing users to be able to actively participate in the career of their sports idols. Starcks allows you to buy and exchange the tokens of the Stars of the major European football leagues.

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Background

Project overview

As a Product & Brand Designer at Starcks, I joined at an early growth stage when the platform had a landing page and had already launched its main token — the foundational asset for all soccer player tokens. Users were able to buy and sell both the Star token and individual player tokens, with the core ambition of helping fans feel closer to their favorite players while creating new earning opportunities through digital assets.

With this foundation in place, my focus was to strengthen the brand, elevate communication quality, and expand the ecosystem beyond transactional interaction.

My contributions included:

Brand System Development

Refined and redesigned the brand identity, establishing a clearer visual direction, improved color palette, and developing the first structured brand book to ensure consistency across all touchpoints.

Marketing Enablement

Designed scalable templates for the marketing team, enabling faster content production while maintaining visual coherence and brand integrity.

Strategic Product Expansion

Proposed the introduction of a gamified layer to the platform to deepen user engagement, increase retention, and transform passive token holding into an interactive experience.

Research & Thought Leadership

Dedicated my academic thesis to NFT gaming brands, exploring how digital ownership, gameplay mechanics, and community-driven economies can merge to create sustainable and immersive ecosystems.

Through these initiatives, I helped transition Starcks from a token-based platform into a more cohesive, scalable, and experience-driven brand with long-term growth potential.

Obstacles

Project Challenges

Challenge 01

Cross-Industry Product Complexity

The platform operated at the intersection of professional sports and Web3 gaming, requiring the integration of fan engagement, tokenized assets, and real-time performance-driven value mechanics. Designing within this hybrid ecosystem demanded continuous alignment between technical constraints, market behavior, and user expectations.

Challenge 02

Limited Budget Allocation

The project was developed under significant financial constraints, which required prioritizing high-impact design initiatives, optimizing available tools, and making strategic decisions to maximize output with minimal resources.

Challenge 03

Solo Design Ownership Under Tight Deadlines

As the sole designer on the project, I was responsible for brand development, product design direction, marketing assets, and strategic ideation. Deliverables were executed within a time-sensitive environment, requiring strong prioritization, autonomy, and rapid iteration.

Challenge 04

Absence of Direct Market Benchmark

Starcks introduced a model based on real soccer player tokens whose value fluctuated according to actual player performance in live matches. Given the lack of comparable products operating under the same real-world performance-linked token model, there were no clear market precedents to reference. This required building design logic, user education strategies, and trust frameworks from first principles.

Stack

Toolkit

Research

maze

Miro

G Meet

G sheet

Design & Prototyping

Figma

FigJam

Illustrator

Premiere

Photoshop

Canva

Cinema 4D

Collaboration

slack

Trello

Methodology

Approach

Agile

User-Centric

Data-Driven

I implemented an agile design process, collaborating closely with the development team throughout the project lifecycle. My approach was grounded in user-focused design thinking and informed by measurable insights and data analysis. Below is an overview of the core strategies we applied:

Phase 1

UX Research

Background

The initial geographical focus of the project was Italy. In this market, football is deeply embedded in everyday culture, influencing social conversations, media consumption, and weekend activities. Fans actively engage with matches both in stadiums and through digital platforms, seeking ways to stay connected to teams and players beyond live games.

In the digital ecosystem, fantasy football platforms such as Fantacalcio dominate mainstream engagement, followed by fan-token and blockchain-based platforms like Socios.com and Sorare. On a more simulation-driven and professional gaming level, titles such as Football Manager maintain strong popularity.

This landscape reflects a user base that is already familiar with fantasy scoring systems, digital assets, and performance-based player valuation—creating both an opportunity and a competitive challenge for introducing a real-performance-driven token ecosystem like Starcks.

Research Goals

We aimed to identify and address the most critical challenges users face when engaging with performance-based player tokens and Web3 sports platforms. The objective was to understand user motivations, trust barriers, and interaction pain points in order to design a seamless ecosystem where football fans can confidently participate, track player performance, and manage their digital assets with clarity and ease.

Secondary Research

What do I already know?

The Italian market has a strong culture of football engagement, both offline and digitally. Platforms such as Fantacalcio, Socios.com, and Sorare have introduced users to fantasy scoring systems, blockchain-based assets, and player performance valuation models. Additionally, football simulation games like Football Manager demonstrate users' familiarity with strategic player management and performance analytics.

However, no platform directly linked real-life player performance to token value in a fully integrated ecosystem like Starcks.

What do I not know?

I did not have access to internal quantitative data regarding user adoption, trust levels toward performance-based tokens, or how clearly users understood token volatility driven by real match outcomes.

It was also unclear how comfortable Italian football fans were with Web3 mechanics such as wallets, transactions, and digital ownership.

What does success look like?

Increasing user trust and clarity around real-performance-driven token valuation. Creating a seamless flow where users can buy, manage, and monitor player tokens with confidence.

Encouraging long-term engagement beyond speculative buying and selling.

Overview

The research approach adopted was primarily qualitative, focusing on understanding user motivations, perceptions, and behavioral patterns. Data collection methods included remote interviews and structured feedback sessions with selected users from the Italian market.

In addition, in Starcks we launched the “Starcks Angel” campaign — a community-driven initiative inviting engaged users to actively participate in improving the platform. Selected participants registered to take part in A/B testing sessions, where different design variations and interaction models were evaluated.

The research design also incorporated a focus group approach. A small group of users with similar interests in football, fantasy gaming, and digital assets were gathered to discuss their experiences, expectations, and concerns regarding performance-based tokens. These sessions provided deeper insight into usability gaps, trust barriers, and opportunities for gamification.

User Research · Phase 1

Affinity Mapping

After interviews and secondary research, insights were clustered into four core themes — each revealing a distinct dimension of how football fans engage with performance-driven platforms.

Cluster 01

Player-Centric Emotional Connection

“Fans seek intimacy beyond performance.”

Core motivation — parasocial bonding & identity

Strong interest in star players' personalities & private lives

High engagement with behind-the-scenes content (locker rooms, training, family life)

Music and anthems as emotional reinforcement of loyalty

Cultural expression of fandom through songs & creative tributes

Fans don't just follow teams — they build parasocial relationships with players. Identity and loyalty are reinforced through emotional storytelling and cultural rituals.

Cluster 02

Continuous Match Engagement

“The match is not a 90-minute event — it's a content cycle.”

Core motivation — relive, analyse, reinterpret

Pre-match predictions and debates

Live fan reactions, chants & stadium culture (Tifo, Mexican wave)

Tactical breakdowns and analytical discussions

Highlights & recap consumption extending 5–7 days post-match

Fans want to relive, analyse, and reinterpret the game multiple times. Emotional intensity fuels immediate reactions; intellectual curiosity drives post-game analysis.

Cluster 03

Community & Cultural Participation

“Football as a social identity and digital gathering space.”

Core motivation — belonging, validation & recognition

High engagement with compilations (best goals, tricks, historic moments)

Fans creating vlogs and opinion-based content

Trivia and football culture discussions

Ongoing conversations connecting sport with society & lifestyle

Football acts as a social glue. Fans seek validation, belonging, and recognition within a shared cultural space — especially on digital platforms like YouTube.

Cluster 04

Active Play & Competitive Expression

“Fans want to participate, not just spectate.”

Core motivation — skill showcase & competitive drive

Popularity of amateur trick videos & skill showcases

Challenge-based content and friendly competitions

Cross-genre creators integrating football into unrelated channels

Entertainment-driven football stunts and challenges

Fans want to relive, analyse, and reinterpret the game multiple times. Emotional intensity fuels immediate reactions; intellectual curiosity drives post-game analysis.

Synthesised Findings

Research Findings

Finding 01

Emotional Connection to Players

Fans build strong personal bonds with individual players and seek content that goes beyond match performance — behind-the-scenes, personal stories, cultural rituals.

Finding 02

Engagement Beyond 90 Minutes

Interaction continues before and after matches through predictions, reactions, highlights, and analysis. The content cycle extends 5–7 days around every fixture.

Finding 03

Community-Driven Conversation

Football fuels constant discussion, content creation, and cultural exchange across digital platforms. Belonging and recognition are core social drivers.

Finding 04

Active Participation

Fans want to compete, showcase skills, and engage interactively — not just watch the game. Challenge formats and skill-based content drive the highest engagement.

User Personas

Persona #1

Alex Marino

Age: 48

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Sports Science

occupation : High School Sports Coach and Sports Analyst

Bio

Alex Marino has spent over 20 years passionately coaching high school sports teams and analyzing professional games during their free time. Known for their meticulous breakdown of game footage and strategic approach, Alex is respected by colleagues and loved by players. Weekends are spent either coaching matches, attending live games, or hosting lively watch parties with friends who share the same enthusiasm for the sport. Social media is Alex's go-to platform for debating game tactics and connecting with other sports fanatics, though they often find it frustrating when discussions devolve into unproductive banter. Alex dreams of creating a local coaching community that values knowledge sharing and respect, where every game analyzed becomes an opportunity to learn and grow.

“Every game tells a story — I just want my team to be the heroes.”

Goals

Develop winning strategies for the teams they coach
Stay up-to-date with the latest sports trends and analysis
Engage in meaningful discussions about sports strategies with a knowledgeable community
Build a network with fellow coaches and sports enthusiasts

Frustrations

Limited access to advanced analytics for grassroots-level sports
Difficulty in finding reliable game footage for analysis
Emotional highs and lows when games don't go as planned
Lack of respectful discussions in online sports communities

Persona #2

Luca Bianchi

Age: 32

Education: Bachelor's degree in Communications

occupation : Marketing Specialist

Bio

Luca, originally from another Italian city, moved to their new hometown for a job opportunity. Eager to fit in and build new connections, they became passionate about the local sports team, attending games and trying to engage with the fan community. Luca frequently shares photos, experiences, and fan moments on Instagram and Twitter, hoping to bond with other supporters. However, they still feel like an outsider in a group of lifelong fans who have a deeper connection to the team and its culture. Luca hopes to bridge that gap by learning more about the team's history and traditions, making new friends through fan activities, and showing their genuine enthusiasm for their new home and team.

“I'm still learning all the local traditions, but I'm excited to be part of something new here. I want to feel connected to the team and the city, like I've always been a fan.”

Goals

To immerse themselves in the culture of the new city and feel like an active part of the local sports community.
To connect with other local fans and build new friendships through their shared love for the team.
To document and share their journey as a fan with their followers on social media.

Frustrations

Feeling disconnected from long-time local fans who have deep-rooted traditions and knowledge about the team.
Struggling to find the right events or fan meet-ups to connect with people in the city.
Not being fully familiar with the local team's history and culture, feeling like they're still on the outside looking in.

Phase 2

UX Design

Project Goals

With the research phase completed, the next step was to define the core product priorities and outline a clear feature roadmap. This required aligning business objectives with user expectations to identify their shared focus.

The overlap between both sides can be summarized into three key directions:

Simplifying complexity by making Web3 mechanics and performance-based token valuation easy to understand and manage
Creating an engaging and flexible ecosystem where users can seamlessly buy, track, and interact with player tokens — potentially enhanced through gamification
Encouraging long-term retention and advocacy by building trust, emotional connection, and incentives that motivate users to return and recommend the platform

Business Goals

What Starcks needs to succeed

Increase token adoption (Star token and player tokens)

Strengthen brand credibility in the Web3 sports market

Build a loyal and engaged football community

Increase transaction volume and long-term user retention

Position Starcks as an innovative bridge between real football performance and digital assets

Shared

Where both align

✦

Simplify complex Web3 mechanics for mainstream football fans

✦

Create a trustworthy and transparent performance-based token system

✦

Build an engaging platform that goes beyond simple buying and selling

✦

Reduce friction in understanding player value fluctuations

User Goals

What fans want from the platform

Feel closer to favorite football players

Understand how real match performance impacts token value

Easily buy, sell, and track player tokens

Be part of a competitive and interactive football experience

Earn rewards while engaging with the sport they love

Prioritised Feature Set

Product Roadmap

Features were prioritized using MoSCoW method, mapped to research findings, and validated against both business and user goals.

Feature name

Description

Research backing

Linked goal

P1 — Must have

Core Product Functionality

Account creation

User registration and onboarding

Platform access requirement

Business goal 01

Secure user authentication

Platform access requirement

Business goal 01

Profile Settings

Manage user data and preferences

Standard UX expectation

Business goal 01

Player token marketplace

Browse, buy, and sell player tokens

User interview — ease of transaction

Shared goal 03

Token value tracker

Real-time performance-linked token prices

Transparency & trust building

Shared goal 04

Game Calendar

View upcoming matches affecting token value

Real-performance dependency

Finding 02 — 90-min cycle

P2 — Should have

Engagement Drivers

Starcks Game Lineup

Build a squad using owned tokens

Active participation desire

Finding 04 — competitive expression

Level Selection

Choose difficulty or competition tier

Gamification principles

User goal 04

Leaderboard

Rank users based on performance

Competitive behavior insight

Finding 04 — active participation

Tutorials

Explain token mechanics & gameplay

Web3 complexity barrier

Shared goal 01

Game History

Track past game performance

User need for feedback loop

User goal 03

P3 — Surprising & delightful

Retention & Depth

Community

User interaction & discussion

Football as social identity

Finding 03 — community participation

Invite Friends

Referral-based growth

Word-of-mouth behavior

Business goal 03

Game Booster

Temporary performance boosts

Gamification & monetization

User goal 05

Inventory

Manage owned items & boosts

Game economy structure

Business goal 04

P4 — Can come later

Monetization Expansion

Item Stores

Purchase in-game assets & boosters

Advanced game economy

Business goal 04

Information Architecture

Mapping the full navigational structure of the Starcks platform — from homepage entry point through to the five primary navigation zones and their sub-pages.

Information Architecture

User Happy Flow

Three distinct paths map the core game loop — from the happy path (first-time game creation), through an alternate repeat path, to the error/edge-case handling flow.

Information Architecture

Wireframes

Lo-fi wireframes for the core game loop — six key screens from the Game Dashboard through to the My Team / wallet view, each annotated with the design decision made at that step.

Game Dashboard

Decision: Timer shown prominently at top to create urgency and anchor the game-round mental model.

Formation Builder

Decision: Pitch visualisation with player slot circles — empty slots are dashed to signal “needs filling” without text instructions.

Player Selection

Decision: Dropdown for player choice + amount input side by side — reduces steps vs. separate screens.

Review Formation

Decision: Timer persists on review screen — constant awareness of round time prevents abandoned confirmations.

Leaderboard

Decision: Tier and season filters as segmented controls — lets users compare rank across contexts without navigation away.

My Team / Wallet

Decision: Player-token cards in a scrollable grid with sortable price/score — fast scanning of holdings and value.

Phase 3

UI Identity

Brand book

Brand Book

Front cover1 / 15

Component library

Design System

A token-based design system built in Figma — covering color tokens, typography scale, spacing rules, and a full component library. Enables consistent implementation across all platform surfaces.

Color tokens

--color-primary

#45C4B0

--color-surface

#022131

--color-accent

#FFBF0F

--color-text-secondary

#5D5D5D

--color-danger

#D4537E

Typography scale

Display · 28px · 800 · Inter

Title · 20px · 700 · Inter

Body · 15px · 500 · Inter

Small · 12px · 400 · Inter

Label · 10px · 700 · uppercase

Button components

Primary

Ghost

Danger

Badges & status

Active

Pending

In review

Finished

Choose this player

Input: focused state

Full design system in Figma

Token library, component variants, auto-layout patterns, and dark mode specs — all documented and developer-ready.

Open design system

Final product

High Fidelity Screens

Four core screens from the final hi-fi prototype — the complete game loop from formation to leaderboard. Click the prototype button below to explore all interactions.

Formation Builder

Dashed slots = empty; filled circles = selected player. Zero text needed to communicate state.

My Team

Token value shown inline with player cards — no separate portfolio screen needed for quick checks.

Game Store

Color-coded items by rarity/value. Amber = premium tier. STK price visible without opening item.

Leaderboard

Progress bars encode rank visually. Highlighted row = current user's position — always visible.

Interactive Figma prototype

Full high-fidelity prototype with all transitions, micro-interactions, and the complete game loop — Formation → Play → Results → Leaderboard.

Open Prototype

Phase 4

Usability test

Testin

Usability Testing: We conducted 15+ usability testing sessions throughout the design process to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement.
Iterative Design: Based on user feedback and data analytics, we iterated on the design, making adjustments to improve usability, accessibility, and conversion rates.
Accessibility Audit: We conducted an accessibility audit to ensure that the platform met WCAG 2.1 standards and was usable by people with disabilities.

Worked

Trading (Scambia) and Wallet structure were generally clear
Player performance and asset overview were understandable
Game weight slider mechanism was functional
Reward and Performance sections were accessible
Store section was easy to navigate

CHANGE

Filters reset after opening a player and returning to Scambia/Wallet
Improve column alignment in Wallet/Assets for better visual clarity
Add Active Orders filter inside Wallet/Orders
Improve discoverability of game updates information
Simplify player weight adjustment flow (currently too manual)

Questions

How can I monitor all active orders at once?
Why do my filters reset when I go back?
How can I quickly rebalance player weight percentages?
How do I stay updated on token price changes?
When will new Store items be released?
Where can I find official updates about STK and the game?

Ideas

Add Price Alert (Bell icon) for token value changes
Add “Share” button in Wallet/Performance (social-ready gain image)
Add “Share” button in Rewards section (win celebration visual)
Add “Reset %” button in Game/Peso Calciatore
Add Quick % buttons (10%, 50%) next to player sliders
Add Preset STK allocation buttons based on tournament entry levels
Add Store countdown timer (day-based) for new items
Add Help → Updates 2024/2025 section with downloadable PDF

Phase 5

Design System Development (Post-Launch)

Last Tokens

Atomic Design: I implemented a scalable design system based on atomic design principles, creating a library of reusable UI components.
Efficiency Gains: The design system reduced Figma file size by 80% (from 350MB to 70MB) and streamlined the design and development process for future updates.

Marketing

Social post, story, banners, video

During the project, the main social media activities were focused on Meta platforms, where content was designed around the core interests of the audience: soccer player launches, match-related updates, leaderboards, awards, seasonal player performance, and events. Based on the research findings, users showed a stronger engagement with realistic, data-driven content, especially posts that highlighted actual player statistics and season performance rather than purely promotional visuals. Trust was also a key factor: users wanted to see real leaderboards, authentic awards, and credible performance data, as these elements made the platform feel more transparent, reliable, and connected to the real competitive world of soccer.

Soccer player launch posts V1