Project Overview
This application redesign project is also an opportunity to rebuild trust between the organization, athletes and all stakeholders involved in the fight against doping. The main reason is that the application is obsolete, in terms of both user experience and technology. These shortcomings cause a lot of frustration in the sports community. We have redesign website and app to make filing whereabouts faster and easier, while assisting athletes to provide better information to USADA.
Website & Mobile App
The United StatesAnti-Doping Agency(USADA)
for submitting athlete whereabouts and filing compliance forms
MY ROLE
Role: Lead Product Designer
Client: U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)
Platform: Responsive Web Application
Tools: Sketch, Invision, Zeplin, WCAG 2.1 AA, Miro, Adobe Creative Cloud
SUMMARY
The Athlete Express website &App allows athletes in USADA’s Registered Testing Pool to view and update already-submitted whereabouts information.
• Quickly access and scroll through your whereabouts calendar.
• Add, delete, and change your current and upcoming location information.
In concrete terms, these athletes have to share their day-to-day Whereabouts, the hotels where they are staying, their place of residence, etc. They also have to indicate a time slot during the day when they could be tested. The data must be provided online every quarter and updated as needed, during the regular season and competition periods, either through the website or a mobile app. With this data, USADA can orchestrate “surprise” tests by control officers.
Problem
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We needed to dive deeper into why AthleteExpress was received so poorly in app stores. We dug into our main users, their usage frequency, and how it compares against competitors in the app’s landscape. ​
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We have a UX problem if someone forgets to hit submit
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Review current Whereabouts Submission workflow
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Determine a better submission workflow to reduce user clicks
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Determine the most important items to be shown on the home screen
Solution
We broke down the users by their attributes, pain, motivations, goals, and responsibilities. I deconstructed the app into a sitemap to provide a visual understanding of Athlete Express's navigational structure and information architecture, outlining the actions and content displayed on each page. Afterwards, we were able to pinpoint exactly where improvements were needed in the user’s journey and developed mockups accordingly. Based on all our conversations the client, we added reminders for users to submit their quarterly whereabouts.
User Interviews & Surveys
To validate the quality of the idea, I conducted some quick user surveys with the primary user base I was targeting. The responses helped me gauge the immediate thoughts of users and their pain points. It provided me with valuable insights into what is currently working and what is not.
Pain Points & Opportunities.
WCAG 2.1 Complaince
​Design choices to make USADA more accessible while putting athletes at the center of interactions
Screen Reader Annotations
All interactive components—such as buttons, calendar days, and input fields—were annotated with descriptive aria-labels, aria-describedby, and appropriate roles to ensure full compatibility with screen readers like NVDA and VoiceOver. This allows athletes with visual impairments to navigate and understand the interface without barriers.
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Color Contrast Optimization
The color palette was refined to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards for contrast ratios (4.5:1 or higher), ensuring legibility for users with low vision or color deficiencies. This applies to text, icons, buttons, status indicators, and error messages across both light and dark backgrounds.
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Larger Touch Targets for Calendar Arrows
The “Previous Day” (“<”) and “Next Day” (“>”) arrows in the calendar navigation were enlarged to a minimum touch target of 44px by 44px, in compliance with WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 2.5.5 (Target Size). This helps users on touch devices—including athletes on mobile phones—interact easily without frustration.
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Avoiding All Caps for Readability
Text labels and buttons avoid all-uppercase styling, which can be harder to read, especially for users with dyslexia or cognitive disabilities. Mixed-case text improves legibility and supports better voice control and screen reader parsing.
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Clear Required vs. Optional Field Indicators
Instead of using ambiguous asterisks for required fields, all form inputs are explicitly marked with "(optional)" when applicable. This approach reduces confusion and supports better form comprehension for users with cognitive and visual disabilities.
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Proper Labeling of All Form Elements
Each form element includes a correctly associated <label> and/or ARIA descriptor to ensure that screen readers announce purpose and context. Required fields include aria-required="true" and error messages are presented using aria-live="assertive" for real-time feedback.
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Improved Stepper Accessibility
The multi-step “Whereabouts” wizard was enhanced with:
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Visible progress indicators with clear step labels (e.g., “Step 2 of 4: Training Locations”)
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Keyboard support for navigating between steps
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ARIA roles like role="tablist", aria-current="step", and descriptive aria-labels on each step
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Focus management that moves the screen reader focus to the step header on change
Branding and logo design
I created a style guide to support the developers that were rebuilding and redesigning the system behind Athlete Express, as well as for handing off designs to succeeding designers.
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As an additional measure of accessibility and usability, I tested each color to determine its accessibility. Each color passed AA accessibility standards where needed.
Site Map
The sitemap informed the user’s journey we designed. My team (developers, a product manager, and myself) captured different flows for each of the four groups of the main users- RTP, CAP, UFC, and Non-Pool. In conversations with the client, we reminded the user that they must submit their quarterly whereabouts.
Home Screen:
We want to focus on what's most important to the user:
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Ability to submit quarterly whereabouts
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Ability to update whereabouts
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View of daily calendar
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Quick access to test results
All other items (Resources, Education, Contact, Whereabouts) can be easily accessed via the hamburger menu.
We've designed a more minimal home page without all the unnecessary tiles.
High Fidelity
What I’m Proud Of
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Creating an inclusive platform that supports Olympic and Paralympic athletes equally
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Designing under regulatory pressure without sacrificing user experience
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Collaborating across legal, engineering, and athlete support teams to ship a mission-critical redesign