Padel proof

2023

Client: El Pop-up
El Pop-up creates portable, foldable padel courts designed for easy setup and takedown, making sports more accessible by offering flexible solutions for various locations.

Goal:
Develop a design that improves the assembly speed, foldability, and overall playing pleasure, ensuring that El Pop-up’s employees can quickly and efficiently set up the courts, while also enhancing the experience for users.

prototype

3d visualisation

Results:

  • Developed a foldable lightbox that integrates seamlessly with the padel court, improving transportability and assembly speed.

  • Designed a two-stage lighting system, enhancing visibility and player experience by ensuring optimal ball tracking.

  • Created a custom diffusion grid, for which I was responsible—an angled extrusion of a hexagonal grid, specifically designed to minimize glare and maximize player comfort.

  • Contributed to the ideation of an interactive lighting system, enabling features such as disco padel and visual cues for reservation start and end times. (The detailed execution of this feature was handled by the rest of my team.)

  • Due to client confidentiality, 2D drawings and exact specifications of the design cannot be disclosed.

Process:

  • Understanding the Product

    • Unfolded the padel court with the research team to analyze its structure and identify potential improvements in foldability.

    1. User Experience Research

      • Investigated player satisfaction, which led to a focus on lighting conditions.

      • Research revealed that the four-point light sources were causing glare and discomfort for players.

    2. Defining the Goal

      • Set the objective to develop a softer, more evenly distributed light that could also be folded along with the padel court.

  • Material & Design Exploration

    • Researched different diffusion grid structures, including hexagonal, triangular, square, and angled grids.

    • 3D-modeled and printed prototypes, testing them with a lumen meter from all angles where players could be exposed to light.

    • Compared the lumen levels of the new designs with the original lighting setup.

  • Prototyping & Testing

    • Manufactured a life-size prototype at a specialized fabrication facility.

    • Conducted on-site testing on the padel court to evaluate effectiveness and player experience.