Opta Search
Opta Search
Unifying two legacy sports data tools into one - designed for the full match lifecycle, from pregame research to live broadcast to post game analysis.
Unifying two legacy sports data tools into one - designed for the full match lifecycle, from pregame research to live broadcast to post game analysis.
The Problem
To begin, what is Opta Search?
Opta Search is a sports data research platform built on one of the world's most comprehensive historical sports databases. It allows users to query player, team, and match statistics across competitions — filtering, comparing, and surfacing insights for pregame preparation, live game context, and post game analysis. It serves both internal researchers and external clients, ranging from broadcast networks and professional sports clubs to leagues and media organizations.
Now onto the problem that led to the creation of Opta Search.
Stats Perform was running two separate research tools after its merger with STATS: StatsPass, which covered American sports and football, and Query Tool, a football-only platform inherited from Perform. Both were slow, visually dated, and built on entirely separate data models. Years into the merger, clients were still bouncing between broken tools — and quietly defecting to Sportradar.
But the real challenge wasn't technical. It was human. Two completely different user populations — internal researchers who'd spent years building deep muscle memory around these tools, and external clients ranging from data analysts at Arsenal FC to on-air broadcasters at Sky Sports and BBC — all needed the same data through completely different lenses.
And this wasn't a tool used at a quiet desk on a Tuesday afternoon. Researchers were in broadcast booths. Pundits needed a compelling stat or insight in under a minute. The stakes of getting the design wrong weren't just poor UX — they were a broadcaster going to air empty-handed.
"People weren't validating our data against competitors. They were validating competitors against us. That told us everything about the design pressure we were under."
To begin, what is Opta Search?
Opta Search is a sports data research platform built on one of the world's most comprehensive historical sports databases. It allows users to query player, team, and match statistics across competitions — filtering, comparing, and surfacing insights for pregame preparation, live game context, and post game analysis. It serves both internal researchers and external clients, ranging from broadcast networks and professional sports clubs to leagues and media organizations.
Now onto the problem that led to the creation of Opta Search.
Stats Perform was running two separate research tools after its merger with STATS: StatsPass, which covered American sports and football, and Query Tool, a football-only platform inherited from Perform. Both were slow, visually dated, and built on entirely separate data models. Years into the merger, clients were still bouncing between broken tools — and quietly defecting to Sportradar.
But the real challenge wasn't technical. It was human. Two completely different user populations — internal researchers who'd spent years building deep muscle memory around these tools, and external clients ranging from data analysts at Arsenal FC to on-air broadcasters at Sky Sports and BBC — all needed the same data through completely different lenses.
And this wasn't a tool used at a quiet desk on a Tuesday afternoon. Researchers were in broadcast booths. Pundits needed a compelling stat or insight in under a minute. The stakes of getting the design wrong weren't just poor UX — they were a broadcaster going to air empty-handed.
"People weren't validating our data against competitors. They were validating competitors against us. That told us everything about the design pressure we were under."
To begin, what is Opta Search?
Opta Search is a sports data research platform built on one of the world's most comprehensive historical sports databases. It allows users to query player, team, and match statistics across competitions — filtering, comparing, and surfacing insights for pregame preparation, live game context, and post game analysis. It serves both internal researchers and external clients, ranging from broadcast networks and professional sports clubs to leagues and media organizations.
Now onto the problem that led to the creation of Opta Search.
Stats Perform was running two separate research tools after its merger with STATS: StatsPass, which covered American sports and football, and Query Tool, a football-only platform inherited from Perform. Both were slow, visually dated, and built on entirely separate data models. Years into the merger, clients were still bouncing between broken tools — and quietly defecting to Sportradar.
But the real challenge wasn't technical. It was human. Two completely different user populations — internal researchers who'd spent years building deep muscle memory around these tools, and external clients ranging from data analysts at Arsenal FC to on-air broadcasters at Sky Sports and BBC — all needed the same data through completely different lenses.
And this wasn't a tool used at a quiet desk on a Tuesday afternoon. Researchers were in broadcast booths. Pundits needed a compelling stat or insight in under a minute. The stakes of getting the design wrong weren't just poor UX — they were a broadcaster going to air empty-handed.
"People weren't validating our data against competitors. They were validating competitors against us. That told us everything about the design pressure we were under."
The Approach
Before touching Figma, I ran a full discovery phase — interviewing our internal research team (known as HelpDesk), auditing both legacy tools, and digging through support tickets and client feedback from HappyFox. What came back wasn't a feature wishlist. It was four non-negotiables that users had built their entire workflows around: speed, intuitiveness, flexibility, and trust.
The Four Design Principles
Speed
Fewer clicks to get where they needed to go. In a live broadcast environment, friction isn't just annoying, it's a failure. Users need to move fast, and the old tools made that impossible.
Intuitiveness
Knowing where to go without having to think about it. Critical for broadcasters and pundits who weren't data researchers by trade. The interface had to get out of the way entirely.
Flexibility
Multiple paths to the same output. Power users wanted precise control, while basic users wanted a simpler route. The tool had to support both without feeling like a compromise to either.
Trust
Opta's data is the industry standard. Users cross-checked competitors against our data - not the other way around. Any interface that felt off risked undermining decades of trust.
One of the earliest and most consequential design decisions was acknowledging two fundamentally different user types. Super Users — HelpDesk researchers and experienced data analysts — had spent years inside StatsPass and Query Tool. Basic Users — broadcasters, pundits, commentators — needed a compelling stat fast, without training. The solution was a tiered experience: an approachable default state with progressive disclosure for advanced functionality. Same tool, different ceiling.
I also had to be deliberate about something sensitive: Opta Search was not replacing the HelpDesk team. These were experienced researchers with years of institutional knowledge. And our clients/ users trust them and relied on them.
In addition to StatsPass and Query Tool, I pulled advanced features from an internal tool called IRC — streak analysis, with/without player metrics, comeback and blown lead tracking, and so much more — and integrated them into Opta Search. Powerful enough to complement the team, not replace them.
Before touching Figma, I ran a full discovery phase — interviewing our internal research team (known as HelpDesk), auditing both legacy tools, and digging through support tickets and client feedback from HappyFox. What came back wasn't a feature wishlist. It was four non-negotiables that users had built their entire workflows around: speed, intuitiveness, flexibility, and trust.
The Four Design Principles
Speed
Fewer clicks to get where they needed to go. In a live broadcast environment, friction isn't just annoying, it's a failure. Users need to move fast, and the old tools made that impossible.
Intuitiveness
Knowing where to go without having to think about it. Critical for broadcasters and pundits who weren't data researchers by trade. The interface had to get out of the way entirely.
Flexibility
Multiple paths to the same output. Power users wanted precise control, while basic users wanted a simpler route. The tool had to support both without feeling like a compromise to either.
Trust
Opta's data is the industry standard. Users cross-checked competitors against our data - not the other way around. Any interface that felt off risked undermining decades of trust.
One of the earliest and most consequential design decisions was acknowledging two fundamentally different user types. Super Users — HelpDesk researchers and experienced data analysts — had spent years inside StatsPass and Query Tool. Basic Users — broadcasters, pundits, commentators — needed a compelling stat fast, without training. The solution was a tiered experience: an approachable default state with progressive disclosure for advanced functionality. Same tool, different ceiling.
I also had to be deliberate about something sensitive: Opta Search was not replacing the HelpDesk team. These were experienced researchers with years of institutional knowledge. And our clients/ users trust them and relied on them.
In addition to StatsPass and Query Tool, I pulled advanced features from an internal tool called IRC — streak analysis, with/without player metrics, comeback and blown lead tracking, and so much more — and integrated them into Opta Search. Powerful enough to complement the team, not replace them.
Before touching Figma, I ran a full discovery phase — interviewing our internal research team (known as HelpDesk), auditing both legacy tools, and digging through support tickets and client feedback from HappyFox. What came back wasn't a feature wishlist. It was four non-negotiables that users had built their entire workflows around: speed, intuitiveness, flexibility, and trust.
The Four Design Principles
Speed
Fewer clicks to get where they needed to go. In a live broadcast environment, friction isn't just annoying, it's a failure. Users need to move fast, and the old tools made that impossible.
Intuitiveness
Knowing where to go without having to think about it. Critical for broadcasters and pundits who weren't data researchers by trade. The interface had to get out of the way entirely.
Flexibility
Multiple paths to the same output. Power users wanted precise control, while basic users wanted a simpler route. The tool had to support both without feeling like a compromise to either.
Trust
Opta's data is the industry standard. Users cross-checked competitors against our data - not the other way around. Any interface that felt off risked undermining decades of trust.
One of the earliest and most consequential design decisions was acknowledging two fundamentally different user types. Super Users — HelpDesk researchers and experienced data analysts — had spent years inside StatsPass and Query Tool. Basic Users — broadcasters, pundits, commentators — needed a compelling stat fast, without training. The solution was a tiered experience: an approachable default state with progressive disclosure for advanced functionality. Same tool, different ceiling.
I also had to be deliberate about something sensitive: Opta Search was not replacing the HelpDesk team. These were experienced researchers with years of institutional knowledge. And our clients/ users trust them and relied on them.
In addition to StatsPass and Query Tool, I pulled advanced features from an internal tool called IRC — streak analysis, with/without player metrics, comeback and blown lead tracking, and so much more — and integrated them into Opta Search. Powerful enough to complement the team, not replace them.
The Solution
Our research had given us four non-negotiables: speed, intuitiveness, flexibility, and trust. Every major design decision in Opta Search was built to serve at least one of them — and the best decisions served all four at once.
"The workaround told us everything. Researchers were keeping browser tabs open indefinitely — not because they wanted to, but because closing the tab meant starting over from scratch."
Researchers had built their entire workflow around a painful habit: keeping Query Tool tabs alive for entire matchdays because closing a tab wiped all their inputs — competition, team, players, statistics, filters, view options, gone. They'd swap out one or two dropdowns when they needed a new angle and pray nothing crashed. It wasn't a quirky habit. It was a coping mechanism for a product that had never respected their time.
Together these decisions didn't just make Opta Search better than StatsPass and Query Tool — they made it a fundamentally different product. One built around how researchers actually worked, not how the old tools assumed they should.
Our research had given us four non-negotiables: speed, intuitiveness, flexibility, and trust. Every major design decision in Opta Search was built to serve at least one of them — and the best decisions served all four at once.
"The workaround told us everything. Researchers were keeping browser tabs open indefinitely — not because they wanted to, but because closing the tab meant starting over from scratch."
Researchers had built their entire workflow around a painful habit: keeping Query Tool tabs alive for entire matchdays because closing a tab wiped all their inputs — competition, team, players, statistics, filters, view options, gone. They'd swap out one or two dropdowns when they needed a new angle and pray nothing crashed. It wasn't a quirky habit. It was a coping mechanism for a product that had never respected their time.
Together these decisions didn't just make Opta Search better than StatsPass and Query Tool — they made it a fundamentally different product. One built around how researchers actually worked, not how the old tools assumed they should.
Our research had given us four non-negotiables: speed, intuitiveness, flexibility, and trust. Every major design decision in Opta Search was built to serve at least one of them — and the best decisions served all four at once.
"The workaround told us everything. Researchers were keeping browser tabs open indefinitely — not because they wanted to, but because closing the tab meant starting over from scratch."
Researchers had built their entire workflow around a painful habit: keeping Query Tool tabs alive for entire matchdays because closing a tab wiped all their inputs — competition, team, players, statistics, filters, view options, gone. They'd swap out one or two dropdowns when they needed a new angle and pray nothing crashed. It wasn't a quirky habit. It was a coping mechanism for a product that had never respected their time.
Together these decisions didn't just make Opta Search better than StatsPass and Query Tool — they made it a fundamentally different product. One built around how researchers actually worked, not how the old tools assumed they should.
The Outcome
Opta Search successfully replaced both StatsPass and Query Tool, migrating existing users while growing the active external client base from 82 to 243 active monthly visitors on average, across 87 separate accounts. The tool is now used across the full match lifecycle by broadcasters, clubs, and media organizations including Sky Sports, BBC Sport, ESPN, Premier League Productions, and Arsenal FC to name a few.
For internal HelpDesk researchers, time-to-insight (individual queries) dropped (on average) from 5 minutes and 30 seconds to 4 minutes — saving many hours across the team. Clicks-to-answer for key research tasks were reduced from 5-14 to 3-8 clicks. Adoption and behavioral data were tracked continuously via Pendo.
The HelpDesk team that initially resisted the tool became its strongest advocates — a shift that happened not through persuasion, but through evidence. Their feedback truly shaped the product. When they saw their own complaints from Query Tool showing up as solved problems in Opta Search, skepticism turned into ownership. They became our greatest allies and advocates in improving and iterating on Opta Search.
Three years later, the product I built from scratch is still running, still growing, and still being iterated on. It's a product that I'm immensely proud of and forever grateful to the team that supported and worked on it alongside me.
On Reflection, if I could do one thing differently I'd push for a dedicated onboarding experience from day one. Looking back, the users who struggled most with the transition from StatsPass and Query Tool weren't struggling because Opta Search was hard — they were struggling because nothing was guiding them through it. We assumed that a better product would speak for itself. And largely it did, but that first session matters more than we gave it credit for. A thoughtful first-run experience — even something simple that walked new users through their first query — would have shortened the adoption curve significantly and taken some pressure off the HelpDesk team and our users during rollout
Opta Search successfully replaced both StatsPass and Query Tool, migrating existing users while growing the active external client base from 82 to 243 active monthly visitors on average, across 87 separate accounts. The tool is now used across the full match lifecycle by broadcasters, clubs, and media organizations including Sky Sports, BBC Sport, ESPN, Premier League Productions, and Arsenal FC to name a few.
For internal HelpDesk researchers, time-to-insight (individual queries) dropped (on average) from 5 minutes and 30 seconds to 4 minutes — saving many hours across the team. Clicks-to-answer for key research tasks were reduced from 5-14 to 3-8 clicks. Adoption and behavioral data were tracked continuously via Pendo.
The HelpDesk team that initially resisted the tool became its strongest advocates — a shift that happened not through persuasion, but through evidence. Their feedback truly shaped the product. When they saw their own complaints from Query Tool showing up as solved problems in Opta Search, skepticism turned into ownership. They became our greatest allies and advocates in improving and iterating on Opta Search.
Three years later, the product I built from scratch is still running, still growing, and still being iterated on. It's a product that I'm immensely proud of and forever grateful to the team that supported and worked on it alongside me.
On Reflection, if I could do one thing differently I'd push for a dedicated onboarding experience from day one. Looking back, the users who struggled most with the transition from StatsPass and Query Tool weren't struggling because Opta Search was hard — they were struggling because nothing was guiding them through it. We assumed that a better product would speak for itself. And largely it did, but that first session matters more than we gave it credit for. A thoughtful first-run experience — even something simple that walked new users through their first query — would have shortened the adoption curve significantly and taken some pressure off the HelpDesk team and our users during rollout
Opta Search successfully replaced both StatsPass and Query Tool, migrating existing users while growing the active external client base from 82 to 243 active monthly visitors on average, across 87 separate accounts. The tool is now used across the full match lifecycle by broadcasters, clubs, and media organizations including Sky Sports, BBC Sport, ESPN, Premier League Productions, and Arsenal FC to name a few.
For internal HelpDesk researchers, time-to-insight (individual queries) dropped (on average) from 5 minutes and 30 seconds to 4 minutes — saving many hours across the team. Clicks-to-answer for key research tasks were reduced from 5-14 to 3-8 clicks. Adoption and behavioral data were tracked continuously via Pendo.
The HelpDesk team that initially resisted the tool became its strongest advocates — a shift that happened not through persuasion, but through evidence. Their feedback truly shaped the product. When they saw their own complaints from Query Tool showing up as solved problems in Opta Search, skepticism turned into ownership. They became our greatest allies and advocates in improving and iterating on Opta Search.
Three years later, the product I built from scratch is still running, still growing, and still being iterated on. It's a product that I'm immensely proud of and forever grateful to the team that supported and worked on it alongside me.
On Reflection, if I could do one thing differently I'd push for a dedicated onboarding experience from day one. Looking back, the users who struggled most with the transition from StatsPass and Query Tool weren't struggling because Opta Search was hard — they were struggling because nothing was guiding them through it. We assumed that a better product would speak for itself. And largely it did, but that first session matters more than we gave it credit for. A thoughtful first-run experience — even something simple that walked new users through their first query — would have shortened the adoption curve significantly and taken some pressure off the HelpDesk team and our users during rollout
