Pod dating
Description:
Researching, ideating, designing, and developing the safest dating app on the market.
Role:
Product Designer, developer
Timeline:
December 5, 2022 - Present
Tools:
Figma/Sketch, Marvelapp, Framer, Photoshop, Illustrator
Process Overview
These are some super quick sketches I had early on that focused on a premium dating app that was geared toward professionals. I called it "Gild Dating." You would "apply" to like someone and write a "cover letter" saying why you're interested in them. This was meant to be cute and a bit of a joke. However, this led me to be curious about what people were looking for in a dating app. I conducted 30+ user interviews to understand exactly what people wanted, and most people said they wanted a safer experience.
- Elements of this app still exist in Pod, but the focus is much different. This pivot is a great example of how user interviews should be used to inform the app's design.
Surveys
I used surveys to get baseline data to understand customer needs better. An example of part of a survey I sent out can be seen to the right.
Sample Questions:
1. How frequently do you use dating apps?
2. How important is it for you to find a partner with similar goals and aspirations?
3. What is your age range?
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Competitive audit
Hinge:
Pros:
- Shows information about people in an effective way
- Encourages users to scroll through some of the profile
Cons:
- The match rate is relatively low
Tinder:
Pros:
- Users can get a lot of matches
Cons:
- Users get too many matches most of which are low quality
Bumble:
Pros:
- Swiping can lead to a lot of matches
Cons:
- Still feels like a hookup app to many
- Has a lot of the same problems as Tinder
focus groups/interviews
I used focus groups for Pod Dating by gathering some of my friends (and asking their friends questions)
"I don't like dating apps because I'm honestly scared of getting hurt."- 24-year-old woman
"Dating apps can feel like a meat market"- a 21-year-old man
"Dating apps can be fun, but it takes a while to find someone that I actually like" - a 22-year-old woman
MArket Research
From user reviews of Tinder:
"This app is trash. First of all, they nickel and dime you on every single thing..."
"What used to be a brilliantly simple and effective dating app has turned into a frustrating, convoluted, pay-walled mess."
From user reviews of Hinge:
Pro:
"They allow you to sort by things like age range, ethnicity, religion, etc."
Con:
"Had the app for about 3 weeks, 1 match in countless hours of swiping. Either I'm the most unattractive male on here or women simply don't use it."
summarizing the data
With all the data I gathered, I was able to find some of the things that young professionals look for most in a dating app. I found that people tend to dislike the amount of time they spend on dating apps and would prefer tailored, high-quality matches over endless swiping. I also found a massive concern for safety. Based on my surveys, interviews, and card sorting, I created user personas such as the one on the right.
Creating the login flow
- The login flow focuses on simply using your Apple ID for improved security. Whether email and Facebook will be an option is still an open question
Creating the Profile Liking Flow
- Using Pod, you can interact with profiles by liking or passing on them after you have met people in person.
- This flow demonstrates how users can interact with profiles using buttons which we found to be the ideal mix of efficient and facilitative of thoughtful profile reading.
Creating the Messaging Flow
- Messaging on Pod follows a number of different conventions with messaging apps including profile pictures, staggered messages, push notifications, timestamps, message box, and send message button. Much of this is to ensure that the experience is familiar.
- This is also one of the more technical parts of the project, so if you are interested visit the Pod Dating GitHub to learn more about this particular section!
Next Steps and focuses
- I sought out to make Pod to focus on people over profiles, and I have branched out to create something that is just the beginning of something cool
- This project has helped me see how listening to users is crucial to creating any product. This should be done before any design or development begins
- I also have come to believe that full immersion with fresh eyes into the array of current products on the market is a good idea to understand how customers perceive a product