Schmingle: Revolutionizing Online Dating
Online dating has evolved since Tinder's inception in 2012, yet the fundamental process of swiping and engaging in one-on-one conversations remains prevalent. Recognizing the fatigue users experience, I embarked on a two-week solo project to design an end-to-end mobile dating application – Schmingle.
Objective
The goal was to create a dating application that fosters group interactions, allowing users to chat with multiple people simultaneously before deciding on one-on-one social connections. This approach aimed to provide a more rewarding social experience and grant users greater autonomy in selecting matches.
Guiding My Research
Commencing with a set of targeted questions, I delved into users' online dating experiences, focusing on individuals ages 20-40. These questions were formed to assist me in understanding the experiences of online dating.
What obstacles do people face when talking to people through online dating apps?
What do people look for when deciding to meet with someone to date?
What qualities do people want to show to a potential date?
What obstacles do people face when talking to strangers in a group?
Research Survey
I created a survey to gather some basic quantitative data on how users rate their online dating experiences and to identify the problem areas. The survey was distributed out to my peers in Designlab and my social network. 8 participants responded (4 males, 4 females).
Interviews
I reached out to 5 survey participants to dive deeper on their dating experience. The interview sessions were also an opportunity to gauge potential feelings towards online video calls and other key insights. An affinity map was created afterwards to organize the information gathered.
“ Texting someone the right response feels like walking through a minefield. ”
“ It’s tiring having to carry a conversation. ”
Understanding the Users
Although a sufficient amount of users were comfortable talking to their matches, only 25% of users were satisfied with the conversations and overall online dating experience.
75% were comfortable talking to new people online
50% were satisfied with their matches
25% were satisfied with the conversations they have on the apps
25% were satisfied with their overall online dating experience
Key Insights
Users expressed discomfort when matches responded with brevity, feeling burdened to carry the conversation.
The absence of face-to-face interaction before dates made online encounters feel routine.
Users desire a more nuanced understanding of their matches' emotions and sought authenticity in profiles.
Defining the Persona
The persona, Abby, was created as a representative of the research data. I honed in on her need for an engaging and efficient way to understand the tone and personality of her matches.
“How Might We” Exercise
A How Might We(HMW) exercise was conducted to frame a solution for Abby’s problem. As a result, I selected the question: "How might we get users to support each other in getting to know their matches?". This prompt was most in line with my initial group chat idea and Abby’s goal of meeting new people.
Design and Prototyping
I completed a 1 hour brainstorm where I wrote multiple solutions to answer the HMW question.
As a result from from the brainstorm session, the ideas were selected and developed further into an MVP chart.
Key Features
Drawing inspiration from apps like EME, Marco Polo, and Clubhouse, I crafted multiple sketches before creating a prototype. I went through several iterations before I found a layout I liked.
Time-based video chat rooms.
Personal introductions through recorded clips.
One-on-one messaging post-group interaction.
Sketches
Testing and Validation
During user testing, participants overwhelmingly embraced the idea of a video group chat.
100%
Liked the idea of a video group chat.
75%
Rated higher confidence levels in Schmingle than other dating apps in terms of getting to know someone’s personality before matching.
75%
Felt talking in video chats helps them build attraction to someone before one on one conversations.
Key Insights
100% of participants liked the idea of a video group chat but want a mod/facilitator. The lack of guidance in a group makes users doubt things will run smoothly.
Video group chatting makes people feel more vulnerable because they cannot hide behind a screen and have to interact in front of an audience. Users need a way to feel comfortable enough for them to engage.
Video group chatting puts people in a position that exposes them to inappropriate content. They need a way to report users so they can feel safe on the app.
Meeting someone first through video chat helps users feel more confident about someone they meet online.
Iterative Ideation
Addressing the concerns that surfaced from testing, I refined the app design to include guided discussions, user-controlled visibility, and advanced filtering options.
Key Updates
Follow prompts and icebreakers for guidance in the discussion rooms.
Appear on camera only when ready by pressing a record button to go live.
Filter rooms by topic, duration, relationship goals, and age range.
View room descriptions and agenda before joining.
Conclusion
and Reflection
Throughout this project, I streamlined the empathize and define stages to focus more on ideation and testing, creating a more sequential approach to problem-solving. This adjustment allowed for a more efficient exploration of potential solutions.
An essential insight gained during testing was the users' heightened concern for safety. Addressing this aspect will be a pivotal focus for the next phase of development after refining the mechanics of the video chat feature.
The most challenging aspect of this project was designing the layout for the video group chat. I wanted to make sure the user felt well equipped with an icebreaker and engagement interactions without sacrificing camera view. It took several sketch iterations before a satisfying layout was chosen.
Next Steps
Conduct another user test
Finalize core features
Ideate safety features