Michael Nix

Michael Nix

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Golf DEN

Huge conversion through rebrand and UX/UI

Huge conversion through rebrand and UX/UI

Denver startup company 13 Irons hired me to lead their entire digital transformation - everything from design and development of their e-commerce site on Square Online (similar to Shopify, Woocommerce, etc.). to rebranding to social media marketing. Golf DEN is a physical storefront at Denver International Airport so engaging marketing and a super easy-to-use booking experience on the app was critical. Continue on to see how I drove a 3,398% increase in unique website visits within three months post-launch and an increase of 2,1377% page views within the first month of social media marketing.


Marketing UX/UI, web development and social media marketing for a golf startup
Client
13 Irons
Timeline
6 months
Location
Denver, CO
Replay Video

My role

Principal Design Engineer

Principal Design Engineer

Principal Design Engineer

I was the sole creative and builder on this project, landing 13 Irons as one of my first clients of my consulting agency VCA Strategy. I did everything from ideation workshops and stakeholder interviews to on-site content creation, web development, and working with staff and PR folks inside the business.

I acted as Creative Lead and also had direct reports

I acted as Creative Lead and also had direct reports

I acted as Creative Lead and also had direct reports

With 5 totally unique personas identified, the shared challenge still remains booking golf simulator bays - from the break room to 30,000'.

With 5 totally unique personas identified, the shared challenge still remains booking golf simulator bays - from the break room to 30,000'.

With 5 totally unique personas identified, the shared challenge still remains booking golf simulator bays - from the break room to 30,000'.

The Problem

Complex Enterprise UX/UI

Complex Enterprise UX/UI

Complex Enterprise UX/UI

Challenge: Golf DEN, a new golf simulator bar at Denver International Airport, needed a cohesive brand identity and an efficient online platform to attract travelers and facilitate bookings. Issues Identified:

  • Inconsistent Branding: The existing brand lacked a clear identity, making it difficult to resonate with the target audience.

  • Inefficient Booking System: The previous website did not support real-time bookings or integrate with the in-store POS system.

  • Limited Online Presence: Poor SEO and lack of engaging content resulted in low online visibility and traffic.

My process

Full-stack design, dev & marketing strategy

Full-stack design, dev & marketing strategy

Full-stack design, dev & marketing strategy

While I acted primarily as a product manager and UX engineer, I still rely on my background in Design Thinking, especially for clients that require the full gamut of product strategy like Golf DEN did.

Note: You can read the full 4,500 word case study on this project on the VCA Strategy site here.

Stakeholder Interviews: Conducted in-depth discussions with the founder to understand the vision, goals, and target audience.

Market Research: Analyzed competitors and industry trends to identify opportunities and best practices, including a lot of in-depth research from the Port Authority of NY NJ and several other airports.

Brand Development: Created a brand identity that reflects the premium yet accessible nature of Golf DEN, including logo, color palette, and typography.

UX/UI Design: Developed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, focusing on user-friendly navigation and mobile responsiveness.

Website Development: Built the website on Square Online, ensuring seamless integration with the in-store POS system for real-time bookings and order management.

Content Creation & SEO: Developed engaging content and implemented SEO strategies to improve search engine rankings.

Social Media Strategy: Provided guidance on social media campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive traffic.

The five personas I identified for this brand:

  1. Airport Employee - Spends lunch breaks in short golf sessions, values comfort, knows the airport layout, and responds well to clear signage and familiar patterns.

  2. Business Traveler - Practices golf between flights, manages time carefully, uses digital tools, and prefers clean, minimal design that doesn't slow them down.

  3. Vacationing Families - Tries golf together for fun, reacts to bright colors and playful visuals, and looks for simple activities that keep kids engaged.

  4. Golf Enthusiasts - Shops for gear, joins mini-tournaments, tracks performance, and responds to bold graphics, speed cues, and movement-focused layouts.

  5. Frequent Flyers - Golfs to relax before flights, expects premium service, notices subtle details, and responds to upscale design without distractions.



Note: You can read the full 4,500 word case study on this project on the VCA Strategy site here.

Stakeholder Interviews: Conducted in-depth discussions with the founder to understand the vision, goals, and target audience.

Market Research: Analyzed competitors and industry trends to identify opportunities and best practices, including a lot of in-depth research from the Port Authority of NY NJ and several other airports.

Brand Development: Created a brand identity that reflects the premium yet accessible nature of Golf DEN, including logo, color palette, and typography.

UX/UI Design: Developed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, focusing on user-friendly navigation and mobile responsiveness.

Website Development: Built the website on Square Online, ensuring seamless integration with the in-store POS system for real-time bookings and order management.

Content Creation & SEO: Developed engaging content and implemented SEO strategies to improve search engine rankings.

Social Media Strategy: Provided guidance on social media campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive traffic.

The five personas I identified for this brand:

  1. Airport Employee - Spends lunch breaks in short golf sessions, values comfort, knows the airport layout, and responds well to clear signage and familiar patterns.

  2. Business Traveler - Practices golf between flights, manages time carefully, uses digital tools, and prefers clean, minimal design that doesn't slow them down.

  3. Vacationing Families - Tries golf together for fun, reacts to bright colors and playful visuals, and looks for simple activities that keep kids engaged.

  4. Golf Enthusiasts - Shops for gear, joins mini-tournaments, tracks performance, and responds to bold graphics, speed cues, and movement-focused layouts.

  5. Frequent Flyers - Golfs to relax before flights, expects premium service, notices subtle details, and responds to upscale design without distractions.



Note: You can read the full 4,500 word case study on this project on the VCA Strategy site here.

Stakeholder Interviews: Conducted in-depth discussions with the founder to understand the vision, goals, and target audience.

Market Research: Analyzed competitors and industry trends to identify opportunities and best practices, including a lot of in-depth research from the Port Authority of NY NJ and several other airports.

Brand Development: Created a brand identity that reflects the premium yet accessible nature of Golf DEN, including logo, color palette, and typography.

UX/UI Design: Developed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, focusing on user-friendly navigation and mobile responsiveness.

Website Development: Built the website on Square Online, ensuring seamless integration with the in-store POS system for real-time bookings and order management.

Content Creation & SEO: Developed engaging content and implemented SEO strategies to improve search engine rankings.

Social Media Strategy: Provided guidance on social media campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive traffic.

The five personas I identified for this brand:

  1. Airport Employee - Spends lunch breaks in short golf sessions, values comfort, knows the airport layout, and responds well to clear signage and familiar patterns.

  2. Business Traveler - Practices golf between flights, manages time carefully, uses digital tools, and prefers clean, minimal design that doesn't slow them down.

  3. Vacationing Families - Tries golf together for fun, reacts to bright colors and playful visuals, and looks for simple activities that keep kids engaged.

  4. Golf Enthusiasts - Shops for gear, joins mini-tournaments, tracks performance, and responds to bold graphics, speed cues, and movement-focused layouts.

  5. Frequent Flyers - Golfs to relax before flights, expects premium service, notices subtle details, and responds to upscale design without distractions.



Note: You can read the full 4,500 word case study on this project on the VCA Strategy site here.

Stakeholder Interviews: Conducted in-depth discussions with the founder to understand the vision, goals, and target audience.

Market Research: Analyzed competitors and industry trends to identify opportunities and best practices, including a lot of in-depth research from the Port Authority of NY NJ and several other airports.

Brand Development: Created a brand identity that reflects the premium yet accessible nature of Golf DEN, including logo, color palette, and typography.

UX/UI Design: Developed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, focusing on user-friendly navigation and mobile responsiveness.

Website Development: Built the website on Square Online, ensuring seamless integration with the in-store POS system for real-time bookings and order management.

Content Creation & SEO: Developed engaging content and implemented SEO strategies to improve search engine rankings.

Social Media Strategy: Provided guidance on social media campaigns to increase brand awareness and drive traffic.

The five personas I identified for this brand:

  1. Airport Employee - Spends lunch breaks in short golf sessions, values comfort, knows the airport layout, and responds well to clear signage and familiar patterns.

  2. Business Traveler - Practices golf between flights, manages time carefully, uses digital tools, and prefers clean, minimal design that doesn't slow them down.

  3. Vacationing Families - Tries golf together for fun, reacts to bright colors and playful visuals, and looks for simple activities that keep kids engaged.

  4. Golf Enthusiasts - Shops for gear, joins mini-tournaments, tracks performance, and responds to bold graphics, speed cues, and movement-focused layouts.

  5. Frequent Flyers - Golfs to relax before flights, expects premium service, notices subtle details, and responds to upscale design without distractions.



The previous website which we replaced

The previous website which we replaced

The previous website which we replaced

An amazing 196-page CX persona document from Port Authority NY NJ I used for research.

An amazing 196-page CX persona document from Port Authority NY NJ I used for research.

An amazing 196-page CX persona document from Port Authority NY NJ I used for research.

Stakeholder workshops and generative research was a big part of Discovery.

Stakeholder workshops and generative research was a big part of Discovery.

Stakeholder workshops and generative research was a big part of Discovery.

For most marketing sites, I don't do a ton of wireframing. This is reserved more for the data-heavy enterprise software I've worked on in the past. I did however do some "mind maps" to better understand customer sentiment and behavior.

For most marketing sites, I don't do a ton of wireframing. This is reserved more for the data-heavy enterprise software I've worked on in the past. I did however do some "mind maps" to better understand customer sentiment and behavior.

For most marketing sites, I don't do a ton of wireframing. This is reserved more for the data-heavy enterprise software I've worked on in the past. I did however do some "mind maps" to better understand customer sentiment and behavior.

Branding

& Guidelines

& Guidelines

One of the first major platforms where I was lead designer for TDA's Digital Transformation was the iOS app. "Income Estimator" was a tool within the platform that won #1 for "platforms and tools" by Barrons and StockBrokers.com.

Some early art direction, illustrated by an awesome studio called Urban Nerd Studios.

Utilizing the new design system, I helped design iOS, Android and Web

Some early art direction, illustrated by an awesome studio called Urban Nerd Studios.

The male version of the hero illustrations

Utilizing the new design system, I helped design iOS, Android and Web

The male version of the hero illustrations

Brand guidelines I built are already being utilized by outside agencies for pitches and third party marketing.

Utilizing the new design system, I helped design iOS, Android and Web

Brand guidelines I built are already being utilized by outside agencies for pitches and third party marketing.

Variations of the logo - 1) Vintage liquor and country club approach and 2) Simplified major league approach


A patented trading tool, Income Estimator allowed customers to predict quarterly dividend payouts.

Variations of the logo - 1) Vintage liquor and country club approach and 2) Simplified major league approach


Lockup / bento box of some components used on web.

Showing the stock profile and smart search features

Lockup / bento box of some components used on web.

Details of the branding guidelines. I get very specific and particular including leading, tracking, etc.

Showing the stock profile and smart search features

Details of the branding guidelines. I get very specific and particular including leading, tracking, etc.

The hero image on golf-den.com

Candlesticks, options charts, and new "dials" were part of my solution.

The hero image on golf-den.com

Pricing detail component

My patented design allows users to turn dials to place hypothetical trades.

Pricing detail component

Replay Video

Concept for an iOS app that will track the golfer's speed, side spin, launch angle, and more.

The blue theme of Trade Architect we designed

Concept for an iOS app that will track the golfer's speed, side spin, launch angle, and more.

Light variation for mobile web app

The blue theme of Trade Architect we designed

Light variation for mobile web app

Social media posts - I designed a month of content and managed their social media, resulting in 2,1377% page view increase to golf-den.com thanks to my social media design work and strategy.

The blue theme of Trade Architect we designed

Social media posts - I designed a month of content and managed their social media, resulting in 2,1377% page view increase to golf-den.com thanks to my social media design work and strategy.

Marketing UI

Web Design & Development plus Social Media Marketing

Web Design & Development plus Social Media Marketing

Web Design & Development plus Social Media Marketing

Another award winning tool, this was part of the larger "Trade Architect" suite. It helped advanced traders place hypothetical trades to make informed decisions on high-risk, high-reward options strategies. Traders could adjust key variables:

The outcome

The outcome

0%
Increase in foot traffic in 3 months attributed to digital marketing
4K
Page view increase within first month of launch
0K%
Increase in unique visits within 3-months post-launch

Significant Traffic Increase: Achieved a 3,398% increase in unique website visits within three months post-launch and an increase of 2,1377% page views within the first month of social media marketing.

Enhanced User Engagement: Improved user experience led to higher engagement and increased bookings.

Streamlined Operations: Integration with the POS system allowed for efficient management of bookings and orders.

Stronger Brand Presence: The new brand identity and online presence positioned Golf DEN as a premier destination for travelers seeking a unique experience at Denver International Airport.

View my work

Intellective

Marketing UX/UI

Golf DEN

Branding, Design & Dev

TD Ameritrade

Enterprise FinTech UX/UI