An app connecting users with relationship experts for tailored advice, helping individuals navigate dating challenges.
Details
3 week timeline
Individual project
My role was UX Designer and Researcher
Introduction
Navigating romantic relationships can be complex and emotionally taxing, whether one is single or in a partnership. Many individuals struggle to reconcile their own desires with those of their partners, leading to frustration and confusion. This difficulty is compounded by challenges such as finding compatible partners, managing expectations, and maintaining effective communication, all of which can create a sense of overwhelm and dissatisfaction in their love lives.
Solution
The goal of this project was to design a user-friendly app that empowers individuals to build healthier, more fulfilling relationships. By providing personalized guidance, expert advice, and interactive tools, the app would help users navigate the complexities of modern relationships in a personalized, accessible way.
This project served as a way to refine my UX/UI design and research skills, focusing on designing a meaningful experience that could address real user pain points.
User Research
To gain a understanding of users' key pain points and needs, I conducted in-depth interviews with individuals who regularly seek relationship advice. These interviews were designed to uncover their specific behaviors, preferences, and frustrations with existing solutions. By exploring their experiences, I was able to identify common issues they face, such as gaps in personalized guidance and dissatisfaction with current platforms. This detailed feedback provided crucial insights into how users interact with relationship advice services and highlighted areas where improvements could be made to better address their unique challenges and enhance their overall experience.
User Interview Questions
Can you give a brief introduction about yourself?
How often do you use wellness and dating apps?
What type of relationship-related content do you seek out the most?
How do you currently search for relationship advice online?
What factors influence your decision to download a wellness app?
User General Findings
Users often turn to platforms like YouTube and Spotify for relationship advice but feel the information lacks personalization.
Single users engage with dating apps regularly but don’t find holistic support for emotional needs.
Wellness apps are primarily used to track metrics, and users expect value before paying for features.
Users tend to look for relationship content when triggered by emotional events.
Affinity Mapping
I used Affinity Mapping to organize insights from user interviews and identify key themes. This helped define the app’s features, aligning them with user desires and pain points.
Persona
Problem Statement
Despite a wealth of relationship advice online, users often struggle to find reliable, personalized guidance tailored to their needs. The overwhelming nature of generalized advice leaves many feeling disconnected from the available information. There is a need for a more tailored, expert-driven solution to help users navigate their relationships.
Lightning Demo
Brainstorming ideas
Matchmaker for Relationship Coaches: A platform that connects users with relationship coaches based on specific needs.
AI-Powered Relationship Coach: An AI chatbot providing personalized advice and guidance.
Personalized Expert Video Responses: A service where users submit questions and receive customized expert responses.
These ideas shaped the app's core features, focusing on delivering personalized, actionable advice while making expert guidance more accessible.
Crazy 8 Sketch
Prototype Sketch
Preliminary hand-drawn concept illustrating the user journey for scheduling a session with a relationship expert.
Digital Prototype Sketch
Usability Test Plan
I developed a low-fidelity prototype to evaluate the core functionalities of the app. This prototype focused on essential features, including the process for booking sessions with relationship experts and the interface for browsing expert content. The goal was to test and refine these key elements to ensure they met user needs effectively. By simulating the user experience with these fundamental features, I was able to gather valuable feedback on their usability and identify areas for improvement before moving on to more detailed design stages.
Key Findings
Users found the expert search process overwhelming and had difficulty managing session reminders.
The booking flow needed to be more intuitive, with clearer navigation and filtering options.
Refining the Prototype
After analyzing feedback from the initial usability tests, I revised the design to create a more streamlined experience. The improved prototype included:
Expert Search Filters: Users could easily filter experts based on specific topics.
Simplified Task Flow: Enhanced navigation for booking sessions and managing reminders.
Improved Reminder System: Integrated reminders tied to in-app actions for better task management.
Unexpected Challenge & Overcoming It
After receiving feedback from the initial usability tests, I revised the design to focus on a more seamless user experience. The improved prototype featured:
Streamlined Expert Search: Users could now filter by relationship topics and expert specialization, simplifying the selection process.
Enhanced Task Flow: Starting with a user-friendly expert list view, followed by intuitive session booking and reminder management.
Notification System Enhancements: Reminders were more visible and tied to users' actions within the app, reducing the complexity of managing their interactions.
Final Design
The final high-fidelity design incorporated all the improvements identified during testing. It featured a polished interface with clear navigation, personalized expert recommendations, and interactive tools designed to help users foster healthier relationships. The app’s design prioritized ease of use, providing a tailored experience that empowered users to address their unique relationship challenges.
Conclusion
Although the LoveAdvice app was not launched, it was a valuable project for refining my UX/UI design and research skills. Through addressing real user needs and iterating based on usability tests, I developed a solution aimed at providing personalized, expert-driven relationship guidance. This experience deepened my understanding of user-centered design and improved my ability to create effective, intuitive solutions.
Tangible Outcome:
Through this project, I improved my ability to conduct user research, synthesize insights, and translate them into a tangible product design. The process helped me deepen my understanding of designing user-friendly, problem-solving apps, enhancing my overall design skills.