Football gaming and casual gambling app, with sweepstake style games and mini-games for friends or public groups.
Scroll for more
Making the beautiful game even better
Circl is a live-action football gaming app, born from the simple idea of making boring matches more fun. Think sweepstake-style betting meets pub banter - with real-time action, mini-games, and group play for mates and strangers alike.
We’ve been Circl’s design partner since day one. From pitch decks and prototype to full product design, we’ve helped shape the brand, craft the experience, and support every major milestone along the way.
They came in with some sketches and slides. They left with an app built to play, backed by multiple investment rounds along the way.
From stadium banter to screen-ready gameplay
The spark for Circl came pitch-side. Founder Will Hawkins wanted to inject life into a slow match, so he and his mates made up a game on the spot using a cap and some cash. It worked. That flash of fun led to the app - but the team needed help making the vision real.
They had early mockups, but needed a tangible way to show how the experience would actually work. Something that could turn a room of investors into players. Our challenge? Translate the in-person, beer-in-hand energy of Circl into a product you could feel.
Designing for the golden path
We built a working prototype - not just a static deck, but something you could tap, swipe, and play through. This wasn’t about showing everything. It was about showing enough to make the vision impossible to ignore.
And it worked. Ten minutes into their investor meeting, they had what they needed as the prototype helped secure their first funding round. Alongside it, we designed Circl’s early brand identity, pitch materials, and a suite of assets to support their launch.
As the product matured, so did the brief. Circl wasn’t just a game among friends anymore - it was entering a wider, faster-moving market. With their next round of funding in 2022, we stepped back in to evolve the brand, reimagine the UI, and help the team scale.
Same mates, better kit
The heart of Circl remained the same: pub-footy energy, group gameplay, easy fun. But the new product direction - bigger games, public tournaments, and “Five Match Millions” - needed a more sophisticated layer.
We reworked the brand to keep its edge but add some polish. The colours became bolder. The typography sharper. The interface more dynamic, responsive, and built for scale. This wasn’t just a refresh. It was a levelling-up, keeping Circl grounded in its roots while readying it for the big leagues.
Beyond the product, we’ve supported every corner of the brand - website, merch, investor decks, even the launch of entirely new game formats. That’s the joy of early-stage partnerships: we go wherever design is needed.
Full-time partner, extra-time results
Circl launched on the App Store and Google Play in 2020. Since then, we’ve been with them every step - designing each new game, evolving the brand, and helping the team raise over £1.3 million in funding.
What started as a fun idea between mates is now a growing player in the gaming and casual betting space, with a brand and product ready to take on the big names.
“What differentiates The Bang is their addiction to Generation Z and Millennial experiences. The guys here are modern and cool. You only have to check out their website… you’re sold instantly.”
Will Hawkins
CEO
Circl
@2025
