Olympic Mobile App (Team USA)
ROle
Lead UX/UI & Project Manager, Blndspt Consulting
Objective
The primary objective of this project was to redesign the Team USA mobile app to meet WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility standards, ensuring the organization could mitigate legal risk while delivering a more inclusive and seamless experience for all users. At the time, the app was under legal scrutiny due to significant accessibility shortcomings, and our goal was to transform it into a platform that welcomed every fan—regardless of ability.
Team
Jonathan Cromwell | Software Engineer
Jeremy Clayton | Software Engineer
Brian Mann | Software Engineer
Insights
→ Baked accessibility into every layer of design—from color contrast and typography to navigation and structure—ensuring WCAG 2.1 compliance from the ground up.
→ Developed phased timelines that aligned audit feedback with agile sprint planning—keeping design, development, and legal stakeholders in sync.
→ Maintained Team USA’s bold brand voice while modernizing the UI for accessibility, ensuring athletes and fans remained at the heart of the experience.
Accessibility Under the Spotlight
The Team USA app wasn’t just a digital tool—it was a national platform connecting millions of fans to Olympic and Paralympic athletes. But when accessibility failures led to legal action, the stakes rose dramatically. Blndspt was brought in to overhaul the experience, transforming it into a WCAG-compliant product that upheld both the values and visibility of Team USA.
The Challenge
At kickoff, the app was not only inaccessible—it was a legal liability. Active litigation required urgent action to bring the platform up to WCAG 2.0 AA standards. Blndspt was tasked with leading the redesign and redevelopment effort under a compressed timeline, where precision, documentation, and compliance were non-negotiable.
I stepped into a hybrid role that spanned art direction, UX design, accessibility strategy, and project management. I created phased implementation timelines, coordinated closely with engineering, and partnered with an external accessibility specialist to audit the product throughout development—ensuring we delivered a compliant and inclusive experience without compromising Team USA’s bold visual identity.
Updated color palette and typography
To meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, we updated the app’s color palette and typography with a focus on clarity, contrast, and legibility. All color combinations were evaluated to ensure a minimum contrast ratio of 3:1 for UI elements and 4.5:1 for body text, improving readability for users with low vision or color blindness. We also standardized type sizing across the app, setting a minimum of 14pt (18.66px) for body text and ensuring scalable, legible fonts that meet accessibility guidelines for both mobile and tablet use. These updates not only supported compliance but also created a cleaner, more consistent visual language that improved the experience for all users.
Wireframes—Header
Header Exploration, accounting for long athlete names, search bar, quick links, and display views. Wires were handed off to the engineering team in an agile working environment—this helped engineering and design work alongside each other and meet targets quickly.
Athlete Landing Page
Redesign of the Athlete Landing Page—with updated colors, improved layout, enhanced search, and quick sport filters for a cleaner, faster, and more intuitive user experience.
Athlete Detail Page
Refined the athlete profile design to be fully navigable via assistive technologies while preserving emotional storytelling. Designed and directed updates to hierarchy, interactive states, and image treatments—ensuring fans could connect with their favorite athletes in a meaningful and inclusive way.
Photo Gallery Page
Updated the Team USA photo galleries with an improved UI and dual display views—grid and list—to give users more control over how they browse content. Enhanced photo presentation and clearer navigation create a more engaging and accessible visual experience.
Team USA Recipes
Who doesn't want to eat like an Olympic athlete! And this updated UI/UX helps you quickly see what to cook and how to cook it and be able to share with your friends.
Sports Landing Page & Navigation
Showing both tablet and mobile phone views. This view also highlights the updated navigation with relevant iconography and bold categories.
Why It Mattered
Accessibility isn’t just a legal checkbox—it’s a human right. For an organization like Team USA, whose mission is to inspire and unite people through sport, excluding users with disabilities undermined that purpose. This redesign was an opportunity to align the mobile experience with the values of inclusivity, equity, and representation that the Olympic and Paralympic movements stand for.
The stakes were high: the app’s non-compliance posed legal risk, reputational damage, and alienated a significant portion of the user base. By leading this redesign with accessibility at its core, we weren’t just fixing code—we were opening digital doors to more fans, creating a more usable and welcoming experience for all, and setting a new standard for how Team USA builds digital products moving forward.