Datacombats

Interaction design

Format: Wordpress-based website

Disclaimer: I have no control on implementation of my designs presented here.

Challenge: Come up with new structure and design for homepage, combat page, archive and profile with white background.

Result: New platform structure, designs for homepage, combat page, recognition board (archive) and profile. New pages proposed: dashboard for combat participants, achievements - start tab for user profile, updates. Also some changes in functionality was proposed what resulted in Team and Submission widgets in dashboard, Form a Team modal, etc. In case the team will change their mind and decide to make the site responsive, all the elements are created to be easily arranged in a responsive grid.

Discoverability vs explanations: Here we deal with so-called "experienced users", somehow familiar with what the data science is. Everything possible is discoverable instead of explained in text.

Key facts and structure

Combat process in bare outlines:

• Join combat, read overview and rules
• Get data file(s)
• Manipulate data, upload file with results (submission), get score. (Lather, rinse, repeat - max 5 times a day, during all the competition period)
• Upload code and documentation
• Get final score based on last uploaded submission, code and documentation - and a prize if you won

Only registered users can access any data files and participate in combats. Only combat participants may post on combat forum.

Datacombats is a small platform. Guideline assumes 0 to 3 active combats at the same time. In fact they rarely have more than one active combats simultaneously. A user can participate in more than one combats, but no one did so yet. Thus, active combats go directly to the main menu. And the dashboard, if a user is participating in a combat, becomes his homepage.

Landing

Homepage for unlogged users and logged users which not participate any combats. Includes announces of active combats. When a combat is over it remain active and stays here for another 2 weeks.

Combat page

Above the fold and secondary menus behavior on scroll. Participant may navigate to leaderboard directly from his dashboard. Only public leaderboard is available during the competition period. This is a decision I am not agree with, as your final position becomes a complete surprise in the end of the combat. But.

Dashboard

Dashboards for a team and a solo figher. Widgets:

• Current position in leaderboard, score and who's submission it was
• Daily submission limit and last submission status
• Submission or full solution upload. Full includes code and documentation and usually in use in the end of competition.
• Current sulution, authors, deadline
• Submission history table with filters
• Team (current user is the team captain)

Few more pages

Including:

• Profile
• Form a team modal
• Recognition board (listing of past competitions)