TopTee

TopTee

2023

2023

UI Lead

Figma

|

Adobe Suite

Credits

UI Lead

Figma

|

Adobe Suite

Indigo

Indigo

design award

design award

A platform designed for junior golfers and college coaches to communicate and connect.

A platform designed for junior golfers and college coaches to communicate and connect.

Why?

Why?

Junior golfers face challenges in managing documents, updating resumes with scores, and researching universities due to tight training and tournament schedules.

Junior golfers face challenges in managing documents, updating resumes with scores, and researching universities due to tight training and tournament schedules.

How?

How?

Over 24 weeks, we conducted user-centered research to identify the challenges faced by junior golfers, understood the golf industry and NCAA regulations, benchmarked and analyzed competitors, developed and iterated concept designs.

Over 24 weeks, we conducted user-centered research to identify the challenges faced by junior golfers, understood the golf industry and NCAA regulations, benchmarked and analyzed competitors, developed and iterated concept designs.

What?

What?

Provide a platform designed to help prospective golfers organize their information in a well-presented and easily accessible format for coaches. It streamlines tracking achievements, researching colleges, and improving communication, revolutionizing college golf recruiting.

Provide a platform designed to help prospective golfers organize their information in a well-presented and easily accessible format for coaches. It streamlines tracking achievements, researching colleges, and improving communication, revolutionizing college golf recruiting.

Junior Player Profile

Junior Player Profile

TopTee is built to bridge the gap between junior golfers and college coaches, creating a space where talent can be seen, tracked, and nurtured. Players can share their journey, showcase achievements, and present both athletic and academic strengths in a way that tells a complete story. Coaches gain the ability to follow a player’s progress over time — from performance stats and tournament results to swing videos and personal milestones — all in one place. By combining rich player profiles with easy communication tools, TopTee empowers juniors to stand out in the recruiting process while giving coaches the insights they need to discover the right talent, no matter where they are in the world.

TopTee is built to bridge the gap between junior golfers and college coaches, creating a space where talent can be seen, tracked, and nurtured. Players can share their journey, showcase achievements, and present both athletic and academic strengths in a way that tells a complete story. Coaches gain the ability to follow a player’s progress over time — from performance stats and tournament results to swing videos and personal milestones — all in one place. By combining rich player profiles with easy communication tools, TopTee empowers juniors to stand out in the recruiting process while giving coaches the insights they need to discover the right talent, no matter where they are in the world.

Post

Mobile App

Mobile App

To support players and coaches on the go, we created a dedicated mobile experience. Junior golfers can quickly update their profiles and share progress during training sessions or tournaments, while coaches can easily keep track of the athletes they’re following, no matter where they are. The mobile interface was designed with simplicity and speed in mind — streamlined navigation, large touch‑friendly elements, and thoughtfully prioritized features make it easy to use on smaller screens. By mirroring the accessibility and inclusivity of the web platform, the mobile version provides a consistent and reliable experience across devices.

To support players and coaches on the go, we created a dedicated mobile experience. Junior golfers can quickly update their profiles and share progress during training sessions or tournaments, while coaches can easily keep track of the athletes they’re following, no matter where they are. The mobile interface was designed with simplicity and speed in mind — streamlined navigation, large touch‑friendly elements, and thoughtfully prioritized features make it easy to use on smaller screens. By mirroring the accessibility and inclusivity of the web platform, the mobile version provides a consistent and reliable experience across devices.

Research

Research

Key areas we needed to dive into.

Key areas we needed to dive into.

Our Competitors

Our Competitors

Understanding Industry / Regulation

Understanding Industry / Regulation

Expert Interviews

Expert Interviews

Secondary Research

Secondary Research

Our Competitors

Our Competitors

We reviewed platforms like LinkedIn, NCSA, and Junior Golf Hub to see how they serve junior golfers and coaches. While each offers valuable tools, none are tailored to the unique needs of young players. LinkedIn is too broad and career‑focused, while NCSA and Junior Golf Hub can feel overwhelming and lack depth in showcasing both athletic and academic growth. These gaps highlighted the need for TopTee, a dedicated, intuitive platform designed specifically for junior golfers and the coaches recruiting them.

We reviewed platforms like LinkedIn, NCSA, and Junior Golf Hub to see how they serve junior golfers and coaches. While each offers valuable tools, none are tailored to the unique needs of young players. LinkedIn is too broad and career‑focused, while NCSA and Junior Golf Hub can feel overwhelming and lack depth in showcasing both athletic and academic growth. These gaps highlighted the need for TopTee, a dedicated, intuitive platform designed specifically for junior golfers and the coaches recruiting them.

Understanding Industry / Regulation

Understanding Industry / Regulation

To get a clear picture of the junior golf recruiting landscape, we researched how players and coaches currently connect and what role NCAA regulations play in that process. This helped us understand the expectations, challenges, and constraints both sides face in the recruiting journey, insights that became the foundation for our design direction.

To get a clear picture of the junior golf recruiting landscape, we researched how players and coaches currently connect and what role NCAA regulations play in that process. This helped us understand the expectations, challenges, and constraints both sides face in the recruiting journey, insights that became the foundation for our design direction.

Primary Research

Primary Research

05

Golf Coaches / Experts

10+

Junior Golf Players

"Swing video is helpful, especially for international students, since I cannot see it in real time."

- Coach @ Arizona State University

Key Quotes

Coach

@ Arizona State Uni

Coach

@ Arizona State Uni

Head Golf Professional

@ Savannah Golf Club

Head Golf Professional

@ Savannah Golf Club

Coach

@ Texas A&M Uni

Coach

@ Texas A&M Uni

Coach

@ SCAD

Coach

@ SCAD

Junior Golfer

Junior Golfer

* Faces have been blurred to protect participant privacy.

"Swing video is helpful, especially for international students, since I cannot see it in real time."

- Coach @ Arizona State University

"Precise on personal statement. Why did they choose the school? How can they contribute to the team?"

- Coach @ Savannah College of Art and Design

"Recommend that looking at the college's current roster and compare it to your score."

- Coach @ Texas A&M University

"Stroke gain date - It's important to see where you are through data, so that players can understand what to improve."

- Head of Gold Professional @ Savannah Golf Club

Visual

Visual

Consistent. With a Design System.

Consistent. With a Design System.

Based on insights gained from user research, we consolidated core user needs that drove the development of our design system.

Based on insights gained from user research, we consolidated core user needs that drove the development of our design system.

Manrope.

Manrope.

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Primary

Primary

#F58337

#F58337

Text

Text

#202020

#202020

Secondary

Secondary

#8DBEFF

#8DBEFF

Background

Background

#FFFFFF

#FFFFFF

Reflection

Reflection

Great design is built on great research.

Great design is built on great research.

Through this project, I learned that in the world of design, research is the foundation that supports every successful endeavor. The insights gained from our research into the needs, preferences, and behaviors of junior golfers and college coaches enabled us to create solutions that were not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and user-centric.

Through this project, I learned that in the world of design, research is the foundation that supports every successful endeavor. The insights gained from our research into the needs, preferences, and behaviors of junior golfers and college coaches enabled us to create solutions that were not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and user-centric.

Josh Lu

Product Designer

Product Designer

Email

Email

LinkedIn

LinkedIn

Instagram

Instagram

© 2025 Josh Lu

© 2025 Josh Lu

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