For 120 years, Daily Racing Form (DRF) has covered the sport of Thoroughbred horseracing, and has provided fans with the latest news, opinions and exclusive analysis and performance data 364 days a year, every year.

Their decision to take DRF.com to the next level and make it a one-stop-shop (content, commerce & wagering) for both savvy bettors and horseracing enthusiasts led them to find a partner who understood the complexities when designing for content and commerce. Enter Mad*Pow.

Our objectives were to focus the company’s multithreaded goals to produce an unparalleled online experience for existing customers and attract and retain a new customer base that would become the next generation of devoted fans and players. The challenge was to engage new clientele without alienating veteran players.

To better understand the essence of the horseracing industry Mad*Pow conducted interviews with employees throughout the different arms of the company, devoted customers, disenfranchised customers and young, racing
enthusiasts. Based on this research, we began to design a suite of improvements and principles that would form the foundation for the growth of the business and guide a new audience along the path of curious beginner to confident pro.

With new designs in place, we conducted one-onone observations among current and potential customers to gauge the effectiveness of the navigation, layout and visual design decisions we had made. The resounding response was that we had made it easier for them to access the content they wanted, eliminated a frustrating sign-up/login process and increased engagement and satisfaction through the inclusion of new replay and live video modules and tighter integration of data products and wagering tools.

We also worked with DRF to simplify and redefine their product offerings to make it easier for customers to get out of the gate with the purchases that best suit their needs.

The resulting improved ecommerce experience combined with the launch of EZ-Form — a new product aimed at beginners — was deployed in time for the critical Kentucky Derby season of 2010.

Since the Derby launch we’ve continued to collaborate with DRF on strategies and refinements to support new business avenues like DRF Bets, proving that best-in-breed design can re-energize a brand for longtime customers and welcome a new audience, that will ensure DRF’s century-long dominance of the industry.

Check out the Video Case Study!