Uplink Sports App: Graphic Designing for the Non-Graphic Designer

By: Casey Sudzina, @CaseySudzina

Uplink Sports is a new app that allows for quick and convenient graphic designing. The app is full of templates the user can edit and customize — you can even use pictures in the library in the app! All you have to do when using the app is input your teams’ name, stats, score, etc. Speaking from an intern POV, this app would have been absolutely amazing to have at my fingertips during my internship at Columbus Crew SC, especially for someone who had so little graphic designing experience.

The app was released Monday, October 10th, and I had the pleasure of catching up with co-founder, Matt Tornquist, a senior at Purdue University. Matt, who came up with the idea for the app, handles the basic management and marketing.

Though he is a co-founder, Matt gives all of the credit to his older brother Nathan, a Computer Engineering graduate from Purdue. Nathan handled all of the programming of the app, and Matt says without the hours and hours Nathan spent programming the app, in edition to his full time job, the app could have never been possible. Quite the dynamic duo if you ask me.

Thanks to Nathan, the start-up fees for Uplink were relatively low. Considering Matt is still a college student, it was important to keep costs low because he did not have a large amount of money to invest in the app. There is a fee for the business email, the website and a fee to be an iOS developer through Apple, but aside from that, the brothers were in pretty good shape. Right now the app is free, but eventually there could be a monthly subscription fee of about $5.

When I asked Matt why this app would not replace graphic designers, his answer was simple,

“Uplink will never replace a graphic designer, but it will fill the void where one is not available. Our templates are all similar for every user, so while the app gives users the ability to do quick posts, they will still want to do outside posts with their own graphics to stand out from other competitors.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woP3u6Mk9Pg

When asked about any legal issues surrounding an app like this and the images they have, Matt told me that he only allows, “free for commercial use images” to be built into the app. To be used as backgrounds, these are set in stone. Matt and Nathan also allow users to upload their own images from their personal device to input into their graphic.

Rather than being worried about legal issues, Matt says the biggest challenge with the app was knowing when to release it.

”It was really hard for us to say, ‘Okay, it’s done’.”

The app has been in the works since last Thanksgiving, and Matt says he and Nathan always were wanting to add more and more, but eventually they knew it was better to release it sooner rather than later.

Matt says he and Nathan knew that the app was going to be a success upon showing it to his mother.

“Once I could convince my mom, who has no background at all in social media or graphic design, that it would be a success, I knew we really had something.”

Matt laughed as he told me this, but as funny as it is, he has a point. Virtually anyone can use this app, which is why I believe it will be so successful. On the back end, the app is difficult to program, but it is this difficulty that makes it so good for the end user.

“Editing templates can be difficult behind the scenes, but it turns out really cool.”

Since its launch only a few days ago, all key metrics that Apple tracks have exceeded Matt’s expectations.

I have checked out and downloaded the app myself, and it truly is incredible. I know that I will be using it in my various workplaces, and I am sure many others will be doing the same. The app is available to download for free right now in the Apple Store. You can also check our the website at https://www.uplinkapp.com/, or the social media pages below:

Twitter: @UplinkApp

Instagram: @UplinkApp