Zone14

The Challenge

Soccer coaches at every level juggle a lot: running training sessions, tracking individual player development, planning for tournaments, and reflecting on team performance; all while managing their day-to-day responsibilities on and off the field.

Most rely on a patchwork of spreadsheets, paper notes, or generic coaching manuals that don’t adapt to their team’s unique context. These tools often make it harder to structure a season or personalize training for each player.

Zone14 was created to give coaches a practical, structured assistant: a tool that helps them plan smarter, stay organized across the season, and support each player's growth with less manual work.

The Vision

Zone14 set out to change that.

Named after the tactical “Zone 14”, the creative area just outside the penalty box where decisive plays happen, this platform uses AI to support real coaches.

The concept:

BNB’s Role

Our work on Zone14 had two key parts, each with its own unique challenges.

1. A Simple, Straightforward Application for Coaches & Players

   We designed and built an app that guides coaches through a four-step setup process:

   1. Create a Team — Enter team details (season dates, age group, number of players, logo).
   2. Send Out Player Assessments — Share a generated player self-assessment survey link; responses flow back to the coach dashboard.
   3. Set Up Season Calendar — Build a structured season timeline including sessions, breaks, and tournaments.
   4. Order Journals — Once player data and schedules are in place, AI generates their Coach Season Journal and distributes purchase links for player journals.
   

   In parallel, we designed a player-facing interface that made filling out and submitting assessments quick, intuitive, and mobile-friendly which allows coaches to collect meaningful player data with minimal friction.

   
2. Generating AI-Powered Journals for Print

   The second part of the project was where the real design and development challenge emerged.

   Based on the input collected, Zone14 creates two types of print-ready books:

   • Coach Journals — containing team plans, player development details, session ideas, and match reflection pages.
   • Player Journals — individualized development roadmaps, goals, and virtual mentors.

   BNB needed to solve challenges like content variability, print layout constraints, and ensuring professional look/feel.

   

Why It Matters

Zone14 isn’t just a coaching app, it’s a tool that turns data and AI insights into tangible season guides. Coaches can flip through their book on the sideline, jot notes, and reference training plans.

For BNB, the project expanded our capabilities into automated print layout design which is a valuable skillset for future projects where digital + physical outputs intersect.

What’s Next

Zone14 is in exploration and prototyping, working with coaches to refine both the AI workflows and UX. Upcoming work focuses on:

• Enhancing the player journal experience
• Expanding AI training session generation
• Integrating feedback loops from real users

Takeaways

Zone14 demonstrates how thoughtful UX, AI integration, and flexible content generation can elevate coaching to give coaches and players practical tools.

For BNB, it was a chance to tackle both streamlined app design and complex print generation.