A digital platform connecting golf players with professional coaches — lesson booking, club discovery, progress tracking, and a community for golfers at every level. Plus a full brand identity built to live on and off the fairway.
SwingOil simplifies finding the right coach, scheduling training sessions, and managing memberships — all in one intuitive platform designed for both beginners and advanced players.
The primary goal: give golfers a reliable environment where they can improve their skills, track their progress, and stay engaged with the sport through a connected community.
SwingOil had to serve two fundamentally different users simultaneously — coaches who need to build credibility and manage bookings, and players who range from total beginners to club-level advanced. Designing for both without compromising either was the central challenge.
"The navigation had to let users quickly browse coaches, explore nearby clubs, and book sessions — all with a few taps."
How do you help a beginner golfer confidently choose a coach they've never met? Profiles, certifications, proximity, and session types all needed to surface clearly without overwhelming.
Coaches need booking management and visibility. Players need search, scheduling, and progress tracking. Both needed to feel at home in the same app without a cluttered, one-size-fits-all interface.
Golf is inherently social — clubs, events, and handicap rivalries matter. Building community features that kept users returning between sessions, not just at booking time.
SwingOil needed a full brand alongside the app — logo, personality, and physical touchpoints (merch, cap, embroidery) that gave the platform credibility in a traditional, image-conscious sport.
Product design — coach search, user profiles, home dashboard, sign-in flow
Navigation was carefully optimised to let users quickly browse coaches, explore nearby golf clubs, and book sessions with a few taps. The design process moved from deep research with both players and coaches through to a complete hi-fi product and UI kit.
About & goal · Design process framework
SwingOil wasn't just a digital product — it needed a brand strong enough to live in the real world. The illustrated goose mascot, hand-lettered wordmark, and earthy tonal palette were designed to feel both classic and community-native, at home on a cap, embroidered on a tee, or stamped in gold on skin.
Brand identity — merchandise mockups: print, embroidery, cap, gold tattoo
Four distinct user profiles drive SwingOil's community and growth — from the professional coach needing visibility, to the beginner taking their first lesson. Each persona shaped how search results, booking flows, and community features were prioritised.
Professional instructors offering lessons, eager to gain visibility and manage bookings through a single platform. Provide expertise, credibility, and training opportunities to the community.
Players with some experience who want to improve their technique, join local clubs, and connect with the wider golfing community. Bring vitality and continuity to the platform.
New golfers looking for guidance and structured lessons. Value accessible coaching, simple booking, and transparent pricing to start learning the game without friction.
Regular golfers already part of a club. Use the app to book specialised lessons, track progress, and engage with events — contributing to the ecosystem's growth.
User analysis — four core personas for the SwingOil community
SwingOil was the first project where I owned both the UX and the brand identity end-to-end — designing a product that had to feel credible in a physical, traditional sport while remaining digital-native and accessible to beginners. The two disciplines pushed each other to be better.
In a sport as image-conscious as golf, the SwingOil mascot and visual identity did work the onboarding screens couldn't — they communicated personality and credibility before users ever opened the app.
Designing for both coaches and players from a single research phase taught me to segment empathy work much earlier. A coach's definition of a "good booking experience" is fundamentally different from a player's.