Case Study · CreativeTech Studio

Building Indiana GameDay

A free, phone-first web app that gives Indiana Football fans everything they need for Saturday in four tabs, and rolls itself over to the next opponent every week.

Open the app → How I built it
At a glance
ProjectWeekly IU football gameday companion
My roleConcept, UX & visual design, AI-assisted build, launch marketing
Built withGoogle AI Studio (Gemini), browser-based web app
DataESPN scores, schedules, stats & win chances; live Vegas lines
AudienceIndiana Football fans on gameday, on their phones
Season2026, updated automatically each week
The challenge

Fans juggle five tabs to answer the same three questions.

The information exists, but it's scattered across ESPN, sportsbooks, the team site and social media, and most of those pages are cluttered with ads, autoplay video and paywalls.

"What channel is it on?"TV, radio and kickoff time are buried in schedule pages.
"What's the line?"Spreads and totals live on sites built for bettors, not fans.
"Where do we stand?"Record, Big Ten standing and Playoff outlook take real effort to piece together.

The goal: one link a fan can open in a stadium parking lot, one-handed, in bright sun, and get every answer in seconds. Nothing to install, nothing to check back for.

How I built it

AI-assisted build, human-led product.

I built Indiana GameDay in Google AI Studio, acting as product owner, designer and director while Gemini handled most of the code. It follows the playbook from my earlier IU 2025 app, Unbeaten & Unrivaled, refined into a tighter, self-updating product.

  1. Started from the fan's questions, not the features.Each tab is framed around one question fans ask every week, and that decided what made the cut.
  2. Prompted the app into shape in AI Studio.I described the layout, tabs, data and tone in plain language, then iterated screen by screen, reviewing each build on my phone.
  3. Wired in live data.Scores, schedules, season stats and win chances come from ESPN; betting lines are pulled live. Each section credits its sources in the app.
  4. Made it run itself.The app rolls over each week to Indiana's next opponent, ranking, scores and lines, so fans reuse one link all season and I never republish.
  5. Tested in real conditions.Tap targets, contrast and load speed were checked the way fans use it: one-handed, outdoors, on a phone.
  6. Published and hosted it two ways.It runs on AI Studio and is embedded on creativetech.studio, with share-ready metadata for social previews.
  7. Launched it with a marketing page.A fan-facing landing page built as a reusable WordPress Elementor template, with a feature tour, FAQ and a one-tap "share with the crew" message.
What the app does

Four tabs. Four questions answered.

1

Next Game

"What do I need to know for Saturday?"

  • Kickoff countdown, stadium, TV & radio
  • Spread, over/under, win chance, implied score
  • Side-by-side stats with plain-English takeaways
  • Players to watch and a score predictor
2

Latest Win Recap

"What happened last week?"

  • Quarter-by-quarter linescore
  • Key plays with the score after each
  • Game balls, stat leaders, postgame quotes
  • Box-score archive for every 2026 game
3

Season & Playoff Calculator

"Where do we stand?"

  • Completed games lock in automatically
  • Tap win or loss for each game left
  • Projected record, Big Ten finish, 12-team Playoff seed
  • Full schedule with finals linked
4

About

"Where does this come from?"

  • Data sources for every section
  • How the app updates itself
  • Independent fan project disclaimer
Design decisions

Designed for one scene: a tailgate, one hand, full sun.

Phone-first layoutBuilt for small screens first, then scaled up to tablets and desktops.
Crimson & cream, high contrastOn-brand for Indiana and readable in direct sunlight.
Big tap targetsButtons sized for one-handed use with a drink in the other hand.
Answers on topTV, kickoff time and the line sit above the fold.
Plain-English statsEvery comparison gets a one-line takeaway for casual fans.
One-tap sharingAny matchup or recap goes straight to the group chat, so every user spreads it.
No frictionFree, no download, no sign-up, no ads. Add it to the home screen and it opens like an app.
Honest framingLines and predictions are labeled for fun, not betting advice; clearly marked as an independent fan project.
Results

A self-maintaining product, built and launched by one person.

  • Live for the 2026 season, updating itself each week with no manual republishing.
  • Full launch: app, landing page and a reusable WordPress Elementor template.
  • Covered a landmark moment: the Oct 24, 2026 Michigan win, featured as a recap spotlight.
Lessons

What I'd carry into the next build.

  • Start from questions, not features. It kept the app small and useful.
  • AI speeds the build, not the judgment. The value came from deciding what to build and testing it like a fan.
  • Automate the upkeep. Weekly rollover turned a one-off into a season-long product.
  • Ship the marketing with the product. A landing page and share message gave it a way to spread.
What's next

Have an idea like this for your team or brand?

The same approach scales: keep the Playoff calculator current through bowl season, then turn the build into a repeatable template for other teams, sports and audiences.

See Indiana GameDay → Visit CreativeTech Studio

Indiana GameDay is an independent fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Indiana University or IU Athletics.