Designing digital tools for creative thinking: a case study from elite sports coaching

This case study reports the process, outcome and selected lessons from designing a new digital experience for professionals in one field that has received little interest in computer-human interaction research – elite sports coaching. The digital experience provided professional coaches with interactive support for thinking more creatively when overcoming the challenges faced by athletes and teams. It was one of the first to report the co-development of digital tools collaboratively with and for elite coaches. The case study argues that the digital outcome, called Sport Sparks, advanced the state of the practice in co-creative AI and digital creativity support by deploying the tool for use by professionals working outside of a recognized creative industry. The research team also learned lessons from its reflections about the process and outcome that can inform the development of co-creative AI tools both in elite sports coaching and other professional domains beyond the creative industries.