NBA

AskNBA

Role

Director of Product Design

Services

Design Systems, Research, Team Management

Timeline

2021-2026

Created the NBA's first artificial intelligence chat interface, delivering real-time stats and in-game highlights.

+43%

YoY growth in NBA App subscribers

+42%

YoY increase in downloads across iOs

4.7

Star rating on App Store (from 2.2)

NBA

AskNBA

Role

Director of Product Design

Services

Design Systems, Research, Team Management

Timeline

2021-2026

Created the NBA's first artificial intelligence chat interface, delivering real-time stats and in-game highlights.

+43%

YoY growth in NBA App subscribers

+42%

YoY increase in downloads across iOs

4.7

Star rating on App Store (from 2.2)

NBA

AskNBA

Role

Director of Product Design

Services

Design Systems, Research, Team Management

Timeline

2021-2026

Created the NBA's first artificial intelligence chat interface, delivering real-time stats and in-game highlights.

+43%

YoY growth in NBA App subscribers

+42%

YoY increase in downloads across iOs

4.7

Star rating on App Store (from 2.2)

Challenge

Staying ahead of the curve

The NBA's board of governors wanted to ensure the league was at the forefront of AI - not just internally for for the experience of our fans. Working with strong cross-functional partners, we identified the key issues and opportunities: Fans were leaving the app to ask AI their questions. We wanted to keep them in the app. We saw a chance to add value in the moment, with AI pop-ups and suggested questions fans could use while watching a game.

Challenge

Staying ahead of the curve

The NBA's board of governors wanted to ensure the league was at the forefront of AI - not just internally for for the experience of our fans. Working with strong cross-functional partners, we identified the key issues and opportunities: Fans were leaving the app to ask AI their questions. We wanted to keep them in the app. We saw a chance to add value in the moment, with AI pop-ups and suggested questions fans could use while watching a game.

Strategy

Build a design system and a team to give it life

We partnered with top agencies and contractors to build NBA Kinetic, the league's first all-digital style guide. It replaced every earlier version and brought consistent UX across platforms and devices.


Around the same time, I hired my direct reports: senior-level designers placed strategically to become platform experts and execute Kinetic across each native digital surface.

Strategy

Build a design system and a team to give it life

We partnered with top agencies and contractors to build NBA Kinetic, the league's first all-digital style guide. It replaced every earlier version and brought consistent UX across platforms and devices.


Around the same time, I hired my direct reports: senior-level designers placed strategically to become platform experts and execute Kinetic across each native digital surface.

Fan Insights

We utilized our focus group participants (

True Parallax Image
True Parallax Image

📍 Fans wanted answers in the moment

Fans told us they left the app mid-game to check a stat or look up a fact. The answer had to live where they were already watching, not buried in a menu.

⚡ Fans wanted live stats, fast

Fans ask during live games, so a slow answer feels like no answer. They expected current numbers back quickly, and they expected them to be right.

👀 Fans wanted to see it, not just read it

Fans also left the app to find highlights. They wanted a video clip next to the stat, not only a written answer.

💬 Fans wanted both quick and deep

Some wanted a fast prompt while watching a game. Others had their own question that no preset prompt could cover.

Execution

We built a chatbot into the app that draws on the NBA's proprietary, non-public data (stats, analytics, shot charts, and a photo and video archive) to deliver accurate, engaging answers to fans.

Execution

We built a chatbot into the app that draws on the NBA's proprietary, non-public data (stats, analytics, shot charts, and a photo and video archive) to deliver accurate, engaging answers to fans.

Mobile App

With iOs as our largest market share and starting platform, we began mapping and updating key screens & flows informed by our user research.

TV Experience

64% of fans watched games on their home television, so we crafted an experience built for 10-foot viewing and non-touch inputs.

True Parallax Image

Apple Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro was our most exciting yet challenging surface; a brand new platform with no prior playbook. But our Kinetic Design System gave us an agnostic language to speak from — principles, patterns, tokens — that we could extend to spatial.

True Parallax Image

Testing early and often

At the NBA offices using the Apple Vision Pro

Testing early and often

At the NBA offices using the Apple Vision Pro

Reviewing our gestures and interactions

Presenting a live demo of our prototype

Yes, we had a lot of fun

Reviewing our gestures and interactions

Presenting a live demo of our prototype

Yes, we had a lot of fun

Results

AskNBA rolled out in beta to select League Pass Premium subscribers, with a standalone web version for free users. Our partners at OpenAI called it "a thoughtful approach for a sports company to use AI".

Results

AskNBA rolled out in beta to select League Pass Premium subscribers, with a standalone web version for free users. Our partners at OpenAI called it "a thoughtful approach for a sports company to use AI".

"The NBA is proud of our AskNBA team on building the foundational elements of what will be an exciting future in AI."

Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner

"The NBA is proud of our AskNBA team on building the foundational elements of what will be an exciting future in AI."

Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner

"The NBA is proud of our AskNBA team on building the foundational elements of what will be an exciting future in AI."

Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner

Want the full story?

An executive case study with research methodologies and metrics are available for hiring teams and agencies.

Want the full story?

An executive case study with research methodologies and metrics are available for hiring teams and agencies.

Want the full story?

An executive case study with research methodologies and metrics are available for hiring teams and agencies.