OVERVIEW
Athlos is a digital platform designed to simplify the management of sports trips, enabling clubs to book travel with just a few clicks.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Many seniors users struggled to adopt the platform because they were used to handling everything manually and felt uncomfortable delegating tasks. This challenge slowed down Athlos’ workflow and increased travel costs for users, making the service less efficient for everyone.
Company:
Athlos Travel
My Role:
Product Designer
Year:
2024
Service Provided:
Product Design, UX Research, Strategic Design
Reading time: 6 minutes
TEAM
The project was carried out by a cross-functional, international team. I was the sole Product Designer and I worked closely with two developers, Mateus from Brasil (backend) and Giacomo from London (frontend).
DESIGN PATH
Goals
Encourage platform adoption by overcoming user resistance.
Streamline workflows to reduce the manual workload on the internal team.
Speed up booking times, keeping them between 12 and 24 hours.
Process
Discovery and Insights
The research phase played a crucial role. I conducted 25 interviews with travel managers, directors, and club presidents:
Older users struggled to adapt to the platform and preferred a more familiar system.
Many clubs had rigid decision-making structures, with tasks requiring approval from multiple people.
Pain Points
Through these conversations and mapping the 16 stages of the booking process, we identified critical pain points when users felt overwhelmed or frustrated.
Travel requests:
when offline, travel agents had to manually transcribe every request submitted via email.Offer selection:
travel managers lacked decision-making power and had to manually share options with other club members, causing delays.Payments:
many booking managers had to request manual approvals, further extending processing times.
This phase clearly demonstrated that the platform needed to be more flexible and aligned with the real-world structures of the clubs.
Brainstorming
To tackle the challenge, we began with a collaborative brainstorming process involving the product and customer success teams. During these sessions, we analyzed the problem from multiple perspectives, exploring ideas ranging from a radically simplified workflow to a more flexible task delegation system. Each proposal was evaluated based on user needs and the internal dynamics of the clubs.
From these sessions, the concept of a multi-level admin system emerged — a solution designed to respect the internal hierarchy of clubs while streamlining the decision-making process.
MAIN CHALLENGES
During research, we discovered that:
Resistance to change
Some users, especially older ones, avoided using the platform
Complex hierarchical structures
Enable a high level of customization to adapt to the unique needs of each team and trip.
Manual overload
Automate repetitive workflows to reduce bottlenecks and improve internal team productivity.
Solution design
After defining the concept, I translated the ideas into wireframes and interactive prototypes.
Before
The internal bureaucracy of the clubs required a transfer of information, which slowed down the selection process on the platform, causing an increase in prices and a reduction in available options.
After
Super Admin Dashboard
A new interface that allowed the primary manager to create and manage roles such as treasurer, travel manager, president, or viewer.
Each role could be assigned configurable permissions based on its responsibilities within the club (team management, payment approvals, offer reviews).
ITERATIONS AND TESTING
Given the advanced age of some of our users and their limited familiarity with technological tools, we decided to conduct tests using high-fidelity prototypes directly designed in Figma. This approach allowed us to support them and engage them more effectively.
Usability testing
We conducted two rounds of remote usability testing with 16 users to validate the solution:
Round 1: tested with super admins to ensure the ease of creating roles and configuring permissions.
Round 2: tested with other club members to confirm that delegated roles were clear and intuitive.
Bugs fixed
Super admins request a faster way to set up roles
➜ We introduced predefined templates to reduce set-up time
Some users found the notifications redundant
➜ We optimized the to deliver updates relevant to each admin's role
Feedback driven evolution
Customizable roles:
we provided predefined templates to simplify the initial setup while also allowing clubs to customize permissions to suit their unique needs.
Targeted Notifications:
we implemented a notification system that sent reminders only to users responsible for specific tasks, reducing information overload.
These solutions not only simplified internal collaboration but also reduced the workload for more reluctant users, enabling them to maintain control without having to manage the entire process.
IMPACT
Over 80% of booking stages moved online, reducing manual workload
72% of bookings completed within 12–24 hours, thanks to streamlined workflows.
2/3 of clubs created at least three admin roles to optimize their decision-making processes.
Clubs were able to reduce travel expenses in their budget by 15%.
Users feedback
LESSON LEARNED
