AMOR
How might we help singles have a safer dating app experience?
Overview
AMOR is a dating app and in-person experience that offers users a sense of safety and security as they interact with the app and engage in real-world dating. It is equipped with a range of features that enhance virtual and in-person safety, aiming to ease the pressures associated with dating and facilitate an enjoyable, stress-free, and secure experience.
Roles
Project management, research, framework creation, interviews, user testing, stakeholder research, research synthesis, concept ideation, iterative prototyping and wireframing, business strategy, presentation creation and presenting.
Client
I. Research
Explore the Landscape
There are over 1,500 dating apps that exist on the market and over 30 million dating app users in the US. In order to create something valuable, I had to discover what already existed in the space and determine what elements of different apps are widely enjoyed by users and which features are missing or need improving. I did vast amounts of research on current dating apps and analogous services that have successfully developed trust in order to help users feel safe & secure.
Interviews
I interviewed over 80 dating app users including single men/women/non-binary individuals, people who met their significant others on dating apps, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community to gather insights on where dating apps are succeeding/falling short, what makes users feel safe/unsafe, and how these answers vary based on gender, sexuality, etc. I also interviewed over 15 bar & restaurant owners, workers, and brand & partnership specialists to see how far they would go to enhance the safety of their customers, what they do to support safety now, and how they feel about partnerships.
Synthesis
Through these interviews, I discovered many recurring themes that helped inform my design decisions moving forward. These themes lead to several hypotheses that I conducted continued research on to see if they were accurate and could lead to insights and opportunities.
II. Define
Insights & Opportunities
During my research, I gained valuable insights into the current dating landscape and the needs of users. I discovered that many dating app users have no intention of ever meeting up with people to go on an actual date. I also discovered that many users feel safer meeting with strangers they meet organically than strangers from dating apps. Additionally, I found that users who identify as LGBTQIA+ have a harder time meeting individuals in person and prefer apps.
After consolidating insights, I used this information to discover opportunity spaces. I noticed an opportunity to eliminate chat functionality in order to increase safety and encourge users actually go on dates. I also discovered that increased safety can be reached through partnerships with local bars and restaurants.
Design Requirements
After synthesizing my research, it was time to narrow in on emotional and functional design requirements. For emotional design, it is important to design features that create a sense of safety and trust for users. For functional design, it's important to design features that are inclusive, accessible, unique, and effective in promoting safety.
Journey Maps & Frameworks
Creating journey maps and frameworks was a critical part of designing a successful app. By mapping out the user's journey and creating frameworks from the research, I helped ensure that the app is intuitive, unique, and has features users actually want to ensure their safety. These tools helped me identify potential pain points in the user experience and helped me address them proactively to create a seamless user experience.
III. Design
Conceptualize, Ideate, Evaluate, Iterate
I started by creating feature flows to figure out how to make an app with multiple safety features still feel simple and intuitive. I decided on key concepts, figured out how to implement them, and created a new journey with low-fidelity prototype sketches. I used these sketched to complete user testing. I refined the entire user experience throughout multiple rounds of designing and testing. I then created a high-fidelity mockup and designed the branding for the app, AMOR. I developed a unique dating-app experience that promoted safety to present to a series of mentors, panelists, alumni, and friends and family of other students in the cohort.
IV. Deliver
Features Overview
Personalized/Verified Onboarding: Users log in through social media (to help identify mutual friends), have to complete a photo verification and background checks (to ensure safety and no catfishing), and have plenty of opportunities to personalize their page with information about themselves and what they are looking for.
Informative Swiping: While swiping, users can learn a lot about each other and their personalities, they can also see exactly what mutual friends they have with other users for personal vetting.
Calendar with limited communication: Users input calendar availability and travel/food preferences. The app makes reservations for them based on their availability, preferences, and matches. Users don't have the option to free-form chat. This helps eliminate safety concerns and encourages users to actually show up on dates.
Tools & Resources: Users have in-app access to a crisis text line, noonlight, privacy settings, how to unmatch, why we do photo verification, info on background checks, AMOR support number, safety tips, information for law enforcement, and community guidelines.
Back-end safety review: Users can rate the safety of the date. Multiple negative reviews would lead to the suspension of a user. Users also have the ability to elaborate in order for the back-end system to better determine the seriousness of the safety concern.
Restaurant & bar partnerships: AMOR partnered staff is trained to help identify users in need of help and get them out of uncomfortable situations. Users have to show their profile to get into the date to make sure the user is who they say they are. Lastly, QR codes will be placed in the bathrooms so a user can silently ask for help from the staff.
Business Model
Creating a business model framework is an essential step in designing a successful app. It outlines the revenue streams and costs associated with the app, helping to ensure its financial viability.
V. Review
Dating apps are currently the most popular way to meet a significant other. Designing a dating app focused on safety is a timely and important contribution to the field of online dating. By addressing the prevalent issue of safety concerns in online dating, AMOR has the potential to make a positive impact on people's lives and change how they approach meeting potential partners online.
Key Learnings
A variety of users have different needs. It’s important to research with a group of people who encapsulate your whole user segment, not just a small section of it. Had I not tested with users of different ages, genders, sexualities, races, religions, etc. I never would have created an app that was inclusive to all different user needs.
When focusing on safety, it's important to consider elements a user might not even think of. Users won't feel safe on dates from the app if they don't feel safe using the app itself. Creating a sense of security throughout the app helps promote user safety inside and outside of the app.
When tackling a large project without a team, it's important to ignore personal biases, stay organized, create deadlines, and focus on a project that is important on a personal level to stay interested and motivated.
