TWIBS
UXUI
Location based dating, no confusion on who pays. People are matched based on their common interests on a map and their financial commitments. All up front.
Dating mobile app
challenge
During the dating journey, finding a match plays an important role, I noticed users complained about the amount of time spent for this step. Swiping through an endless sea of profiles is the only way to find potential matches in most platforms. Matching, engaging in small talk, and deciding on a place to meet all takes a tremendous amount of time. Therefore it was important to include a solution, which automatically decreases the problem of wasted time. We thought aligning interests and financial commitments should be the first step to finding a match.
Approach
To understand the online dating market I did a separate research project before developing the concept of TWIBS. I took an interest in the contrast of the digital dating journey vs IRL interactions. I’m fascinated by ways we can steadily erode the boundary between real and virtual worlds. By studying the pains of different dating apps, I was able to hone in on the way users are tackling digitalization of these initial, often awkward, interactions.
I focused on the qualitative research I did with friends who use dating apps. I collected tons of feedback from over 50 online daters. The goal of the research was to find new potentials for innovation in the online dating platform. The findings of the research shaped the ground for the concept of TWIBS.
It was also crucial to analyze the market competitors and the general online dating market sales figures, to create a working business model.
Users slide left or right on a TWIB to indicate that they'd like to go out with someone at that specific location.
Insights from research
I surveyed 50 people living in LA ages ranging from 23 to 42
People in large cities (like Los Angeles) take distance into consideration when dating
Online interactions feel easier than IRL for 6 out of every 10 people
Most people of ages between 28-34 are looking to date casually
5 in 10 people don’t delete their online profile until they become monogamous
80% of people value shared experiences on a date VS going to a bar
2 in 10 people that have used dating apps in the past claim that photos weren’t the most important component to a successful profile
Touchpoints informed from research
By clicking on points of interest on a map, readers can explore profiles filtered by similar location
Users choose to either treat, be treated, or split their date
Users can filter by location and payment option
Increase local business by opting into the app ‘selected locations
Users are notified when people 'like' their TWIB, and when they 'like' someone back, a new message thread is automatically created displaying the new match
Business Model
TWIBS users will be able to pay for premium subscriptions to: place more than the allotted 10 TWIBS, track profile views, send messages to people before matching.
TWIBS V2 will have a live-matching AR feature that allows people to look through the camera, see people's profiles in person at a bar/restaurant, and send them a live invitation to buy them a drink, invite them to dinner, etc.