Product design / web application

Designing for the Modern Sports Industry: Application Development for MLSPA

How Oak Theory Delivered a Seamless UX/UI Experience for Major League Soccer Players

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About

As an organization run by players and for the players, the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA) advocates for and empowers Major League Soccer athletes. However, fragmented tools and outdated user experiences were making it difficult to fully deliver on that promise. For both active and retired players—who often transition to becoming agents—accessing critical resources like compensation tracking and benefits was a frustrating experience due to a lack of coherence and ease of use. That’s where Oak Theory stepped in—not just as designers, but as strategic partners, to build a future-proof, branded solution that streamlined MLSPA’s digital experience and better served their diverse audience.

The Challenge

MLSPA, a union driven by the mission to support professional soccer players, faced a growing problem: their existing tools were falling short.

Navigating the existing application was cumbersome, with disjointed tools and inconsistent UI design that made it difficult for both players and agents—many of whom are retired players transitioning into new roles—to quickly find the resources they needed. A unified UI UX design approach was essential to resolve these pain points and deliver a smoother user experience while maintaining professional application development standards.

What We Did

Onboarding Research and Workshops
Sitemap Design
Wireframe Development
UI/UX Design
User Validation Testing

Our Approach

Before diving into design, Oak Theory took a collaborative approach. We started with thorough onboarding research, sitting down with key MLSPA stakeholders to understand not just their technical needs but their mission to empower active and retired players as well as agents. Through a series of workshops, we gathered insights and shaped a clear vision for an easy-to-use application that would simplify the user experience while supporting growth.

Laying the Foundation

Grounded in a clear understanding of MLSPA’s objectives, we started by designing a well-organized sitemap. This structural blueprint would serve as the backbone, ensuring easy navigation and a streamlined user journey for both players and agents.

Bringing the Portal to Life

Next, we brought the vision to life through detailed wireframes, ensuring every element reflected MLSPA’s brand identity. Our approach was strategic: we kept scalability at the forefront, building a flexible system that could adapt as MLSPA’s needs evolved. The UI Design was meticulously crafted to create a visually cohesive, branded application where form met function. Our UI UX Design process was all about making the experience effortless for players and agents—intuitive, visually consistent, and tailored to their unique needs.

Collaborative Application Development Services

Collaboration was key throughout the development of the MLSPA Player’s Portal application. Through regular workshops, feedback sessions, and user validation testing, we adapted our application development services to ensure the portal aligned with real user expectations. By testing early prototypes, we were able to identify pain points and adjust the sitemap UX design accordingly. This iterative process helped fine-tune the application, incorporating feedback to enhance the user experience while ensuring a solid foundation for scaling.

The results

The Player’s Portal application we developed didn’t just meet MLSPA’s needs—it enhanced their ability to support and empower athletes. The intuitive UI UX Design and efficient Sitemap Design simplified navigation for players and agents, while the scalable structure ensures the platform can grow with MLSPA’s future needs. With a branded, user-centric application in place, MLSPA now offers a seamless digital experience that truly serves its audience.

Lean on an Expert Application Design Agency

Oak Theory’s ability to blend UI design and application development services in a tailored, human-centered process allowed MLSPA to elevate its digital platform for their players.

Ready to elevate your own digital experience? Whether you need expert UI UX design, innovative sitemap design, or comprehensive application development services, Oak Theory is here to help you transform your digital platforms. Reach out today to see how we can build scalable, user-centric solutions tailored to your unique needs.