Creating talkSPORT EDGE was about building more than an app; it was about giving young football fans a richer, more connected matchday experience that genuinely respected their needs. My role included product design leadership from concept to launch, following a Lean Startup approach to test, refine, and quickly adapt based on user feedback. With support from News UK’s senior leadership, we secured essential talent and kept the project on track. The Edge app sought to fill a gap for young, digitally savvy football enthusiasts by blending trusted content with real-time interaction and community engagement. By integrating Talksport's authentic football news with content from The Sun and The Times, plus seamless betting and match-centre features, we created an experience that combined immediacy and entertainment. Extensive research and testing enabled us to build an app that felt genuinely personalised and relevant for this fast-moving audience. After a successful internal beta launch aligned with EURO 2020, Edge was publicly launched in the autumn of 2021, just as the Premiership season kicked off. The app quickly gained traction with our target audience.
Discover
Our discovery phase involved synthesising existing research with fresh insights from qualitative interviews to uncover young football fans' specific needs and behaviours. We identified key themes like the desire for ‘snackable’ content and the demand for interactive elements that make sharing updates with friends seamless.
Define
We reviewed research findings and focused on user challenges, framing their needs around core elements like real-time updates, authentic news, and interactive, shareable content. This defined a path to bring matchday excitement to life with practical features users would genuinely engage with.
Develop
The app experience needed to allow quick navigation for football fans wanting access to everything from breaking news to betting. We streamlined the experience by embedding a match centre, one-tap betting, and sharing options. As the design progressed through internal beta, we worked closely with stakeholders and an external partner to ensure an efficient build.
Deliver
Launched in time for the Premiership season, Talksport Edge was well-received for its blend of trusted news, live match updates, and interactive social elements—all crafted for a new generation of football fans. Reflecting on the Edge project, I gained insight into the balance of innovation and practicality needed to build user-centred, commercially viable products. This experience reinforced the value of collaborative, Lean methodologies, allowing quick adaptation, user engagement, and effective stakeholder alignment.
