Online dating can be rough. Between endless profiles to swipe through, and forced or uninspired conversations over text that never lead to meeting in person, participating in dating app culture can be time consuming with very little reward. Roam tackles this problem by increasing your chances to meet someone organically in real life.
As a UX Designer, my primary objective was to go through the full design process and conceptualize a digital solution for burn out of the online dating space.
Research • Design
Conducted background research, competitive analysis user interviews and usability tests, organized user stories and flows, designed wireframes and hi-fi prototypes
Solo Student Project • May 2023
Conceptual design sprint conducted over 5 days
Dating should feel exciting so I set out to find a way to create the organic magic that happens when two people meet by chance.
I talked to 5 different singles that lived in different cities to understand their online dating experiences, and see where the opportunities were to help make dating feel more empowering. While some users had experienced success with online dating, almost everyone preferred meeting people in real life.
Users expressed privacy as a big concern. Not wanting just anyone who is using the same as app as them to know of their existence and that they are single.
Users said it’s really hard to gage your interest with someone when you haven’t been around them in person, however some users (mostly women) felt a pressure that because they had met on an app designated for dating there was a pretense that they already needed to be interested in that person.
Users expressed frustration over endless swiping without finding anyone they were attracted to, and that most online conversations fizzled out before they even met the person in real life.
After talking to users it was obvious that no one was enjoying scrolling through dating profiles let alone having a sales ad of themselves online. Users wanted genuine, real-life interactions, free from the burden of romantic expectations, where they could assess their interest naturally and organically.
When I asked users about how they typically go about meeting new people, I discovered that many stick to their favorite bars often accompanied with their friends. Some users mentioned using Google Maps to gauge if their favorite spots were crowded, while some, in moments of desperation, resorted to googling where to find singles in their area. By mapping out the user journey below, I discerned the pain points along the way, presenting opportunities for my design.
Determining that singles simply wanted to be able to see what areas around them were busy with other singles I created a simple flow of what that could look like.
To determine the best way to visualize busy areas, filtering places, and navigation, I took inspiration from Google Maps, Raya, Airbnb, and Uber.
I explored various ways to visualize busy areas through dots, pinpoints, and outlines.
For the search bar and filtered categories I didn't want to draw too much attention away from the hotspots of singles. While exploring ideas here my focus was balancing making the categories accessible and giving users control with letting the map speak for itself.
For the home screen navigation I really wanted to let the map speak for itself, but also highlight areas that were busy near you.
While most map applications offer routing and place information, they lack the the feature of locating singles and accurately showing how busy an area is. Recognizing this gap, I focused on designing a screen that enables singles to visualize and discover potential meeting spots, exploring various ideas to bring this concept to life. I explored a few different way to visualize this. I eventually decided the blobs gave the most hierarchy and felt the most organic in visually representing how busy an area was and gave users a call to action.
When crafting Roam's UI, my objective was to establish familiarity, instill trust, and prioritize user safety. To achieve this, I opted for a transparent fuchsia as the primary color, evoking a romantic ambiance without being overly assertive. The secondary blue color was deliberately chosen to evoke a sense of familiarity and reliability.
As for the overall app design, I embraced a black/white/grey theme, allowing users to experience the app without the constraints typically associated with dating apps, granting them the freedom to feel as they please.
On the last day of the sprint I reached out to five singles, who enjoy meeting new people. Overall the feedback was super positive and users recognized how to use the app immediately.
Initially, I thought users would interact with categories along the top of the map more, but every user when tasked with finding a place they could bring their dog went to the search bar. In response I built out the search page that would anticipate searches, show a history of previous searches, and also show relevant places from their favorites list.
Several users were confused about what “80% busy” meant so I changed it to very busy, with the ability to click on this button to learn more about how busyness is calculated. Also, taking this opportunity to assure the user that their specific location was private and never shared.
Upon opening the prototype users immediately expressed a desire for this concept to exist. They felt that this application would significantly enhance their ability to connect with others. They found the app user-friendly, appreciating its straightforward design. Even those who initially had no plans to venture out stated that the app would motivate them to explore the world around them. The users praised the app's simplicity and admired how effortlessly they could discover and navigate to their desired destinations, eliminating the need for a traditional menu or bottom navigation.
Overall I was pleased to find that so many users thought a concept like this would add value to their lives, and I hope to take the lessons learned from this project to create more empowering and safe solutions for vulnerable problems.
01
this is a solution for outgoing people
This would not be the most helpful to the person who finds striking up conversations with people while they are out difficult, I would love to learn more about the problem space of dating for people who have certain social anxieties or disabilities. However, for people who enjoy meeting new people this app would ideally create momentum to talk to others and excitement in going out into their communities.
02
privacy + safety were my top concerns
Dating is already a vulnerable experience, so creating a product for that sector, that also uses location for data, meant safety was at the forefront of my mind. I initially had a screen that could filter out preferences of who you were looking to meet based on age, gender, and sexual orientation, but felt that a system like that could create serious safety issues, and in the end didn’t align with the organic value of the app.
