Mind Games
A mental training platform for elite footballers—five cognitive tools designed to develop the mind alongside the body.
Nike
2016
Product Design, Interactive Design, Mobile App
Associate UX Strategy & Design Director
Product Strategy, Mobile App Design, Interactive Design, Sports Psychology Integration, Content Strategy
Ciclope Apps Gold, IAB Made for Mobile, Drum Mobile Award, BIMA Award, Design Week App Design
Users on launch day
Social media reach
Cognitive training tools
Who We Designed For
Young footballers seeking to gain a competitive mental edge
Elite Youth Players
Academy footballers training to reach professional levels who need every competitive advantage
Professional Athletes
Established players looking to sharpen mental performance where physical margins are minimal
Coaches & Training Staff
Football professionals integrating cognitive training into team development programs
The Challenge
In elite football, fine margins separate the good from the truly great. Modern training has minimized physical and tactical differences between players—the athletes who reach the top are often distinguished by mental preparation. Nike needed to enter the mind training space with tools that felt as essential as physical drills.
The Approach
We partnered with elite footballers and sports psychology experts to develop five interactive training tools: Counter Attack, Priming, Cross Anticipation, Visualisation, and Self-Talk. Each combines interactive games, audio guidance, and video content—translating complex sports psychology into accessible, daily training habits within the Nike Football App.
The Outcome
Mind Games marked Nike's entry into cognitive training for professional athletes. On launch day, 2.6 million Nike Football App users gained instant access. Combined social media reach through Nike athletes surpassed 500 million. The platform proved that mental training could be as engaging and measurable as physical performance.