CHLK

Specific designs and product details cannot be shared due to NDA restrictions.

The Challenge

The goal was to translate the full CHLK experience to iPad while preserving its simplicity and speed. The challenge wasn’t building new features, but rethinking layout, controls, and interaction for a fully touch-based environment. The interface had to feel native to iPad while still familiar to users coming from the web version. 

Design Approach

The starting point was the existing feature set from the web version, including tools like Player Halo, Bézier route drawing, formation flipping, field templates, and playbook export. Each of these interactions was reviewed and adjusted for touch input, larger tap targets, and Apple’s native gesture patterns.

The canvas layout was optimized for landscape view, making space for both the field and control panels. Key tools were restructured into a collapsible side toolbar with high usability in both right- and left-hand usage. Drag-and-drop interactions were used for player placements and route adjustments, and gestures like two-finger tap, pinch-to-zoom, and long-press were added to streamline workflow.

Tooltips, previously hover-based on desktop, were adapted into contextual quick guides. Performance was also a consideration, ensuring drawing tools felt responsive and accurate under finger control.

The Impact

The iPad version gave CHLK users a powerful way to design plays on the go. Coaches could now draw, edit, and present playbooks directly from their tablets, without needing to switch between devices. The intuitive touch-based interactions and portable UI made it easier to use CHLK in real-time during practices, team meetings, or even on the sideline. The design stayed true to CHLK’s fast and focused workflow while making it fit naturally within the iPad experience.  

Reflections 

Designing for iPad showed me that mobile adaptations are not just about resizing. They require rethinking how users physically interact with a product. Translating mouse-based tools into gestures while keeping the interface familiar needed thoughtful decisions at every step. It highlighted the importance of flow, feedback, and user comfort when designing for touch-based experiences.