Sponsorship Submission Platform
Originally built over 10 years ago, this web-based application was designed for the NFL to replace a fragmented, Excel-driven process used to collect sponsorship data from all 33 teams. Reflective of the design standards and UI patterns of that era, the platform enabled teams to upload, validate, and submit data using automated business rules and admin-controlled feedback loops. The application significantly improved accuracy, efficiency, and consistency across teams and was later white-labeled and adopted by the NHL.
category:
Design, Develop
services:
Sketch, HTML, CSS
The Problem
NFL teams were submitting sponsorship data using a patchwork of Excel files—making it difficult to ensure consistency, track progress, and reduce manual error. With 33 teams participating, this decentralized approach caused major inefficiencies.
Key pain points:
- Teams relied on Excel files with inconsistent formats and naming conventions.
- Administrators spent hours reconciling incomplete or incorrect data.
- There was no shared dashboard to track the status of submissions.
- Teams couldn’t easily correct or resubmit data.
- Lite and full submission rounds created duplication and confusion.
The Solution
To address the inefficiencies of Excel-based workflows, we designed a centralized, web-based application tailored to the needs of both NFL teams and league administrators. The platform provided a structured submission process, automated error detection, and real-time status tracking—all within a user-friendly interface reflective of the design standards at the time.
Key solution features included:
- A web-based portal where each team could securely upload their sponsorship data
- A Business Rule Wizard that automatically flagged errors and suggested corrections
- Role-based dashboards for teams and administrators to track submission status
- Built-in workflows for lite and full submissions with confirmation and version tracking
- Admin tools to approve, reject, or return submissions for revision
- Audit logs and downloadable summaries to support accountability and league oversight
The result was a scalable, more accurate, and drastically more efficient process for managing league-wide sponsorship data.
Research & Workflow
To identify high-friction points, we collaborated closely with NFL team operations staff and league data managers. Through interviews and hands-on feedback loops, we analyzed how teams were using Excel to create, manage, and validate sponsorship submissions—and uncovered several pain points that shaped the structure of the new platform.
Key insights from interviews:
- Excel-based submissions led to frequent formatting errors and rule violations
- Teams wanted real-time validation during submission, not after the file was uploaded
- Administrators lacked visibility into team progress, often chasing down missing or incorrect data
- There was a need to support both lite and full submissions with deadline-driven workflows
- Teams needed an easier way to review, correct, and re-submit files with clear system guidance
Iterative Design
Through close collaboration with NFL administrators and real team users, we refined the interface through several rounds of iterative design and testing. Early wireframes evolved into a fully responsive web application with a modular, card-based layout—supporting clarity, accessibility, and team-specific needs. Feedback from testing helped us prioritize usability enhancements that reduced errors and improved team adoption.
Key improvements and final design highlights:
- Inline error messages within the Business Rule Wizard for immediate feedback
- Color-coded status indicators for each team (green = submitted, red = issues, gray = not submitted)
- Status tiles and dashboard filters for quick scanning by submission state or deadline
- Printable dashboard exports for league-wide review meetings
- Submission confirmations with timestamped audit logs and approval tracking
- Reusable components to support team-specific branding in future white-labeled versions
- Bulk correction tools to reduce manual cleanup and streamline resubmissions
Final Design Highlights
The completed NFL Sponsorship Application brought clarity and control to a previously fragmented submission process. Key design and functionality features included:
- Dashboard Overview showing team status at a glance (Submitted, Finalized, Not Submitted)
- Color-coded Submission Tiles for intuitive status scanning
- Business Rule Wizard to flag issues and apply corrections before final submission
- Submission Timeline clearly displaying lite and full submission deadlines
- Inline Validation & Edit Tools for real-time data corrections
- Admin Panel to track progress, send data back for revisions, and approve submissions
- Responsive Design that worked seamlessly on standard desktop and admin review stations
Outcome
The new platform successfully replaced the outdated Excel-based process, dramatically improving accuracy and submission efficiency across all NFL teams. The streamlined data flow and automated rule checks reduced admin overhead and ensured data integrity at every stage. The platform was later white-labeled and adopted by the NHL, demonstrating its versatility and scalability across professional sports leagues.
Reflection
It was deeply rewarding to see how a simple yet powerful tool could make such a meaningful impact across an entire professional sports league. The application not only streamlined sponsorship data collection for all 33 NFL teams, but it also brought consistency, accuracy, and time savings to a process that was once fragmented and error-prone.
What made the project especially fulfilling was how adaptable the solution proved to be—it was later white-labeled and adopted by the NHL, further validating its effectiveness and thoughtful design. Knowing that this foundational tool continued to support multiple major leagues is one of the most gratifying outcomes of the work.
