Tired of the endless swiping and superficial interactions that plague modern dating apps? Students from Drexel University’s User Experience and Interaction Design (UXID) program have reimagined the online dating experience with Facets, a platform designed to foster genuine connections and showcase the many sides of a person’s personality.
The Problem: Dating App Disillusionment
Today’s dating apps are often criticized for fostering a toxic culture of competition, ghosting, and endless scrolling. Users are reduced to mere profiles, leading to feelings of disposability and self-consciousness. In the quest to appear most desirable, true connections are often lost. The Facets team recognized these flaws and set out to create a solution tailored for college-aged individuals seeking meaningful, long-lasting relationships.
Preliminary Research and Psychology Insights
Preliminary research targeting dating app users aged 18-23 revealed that a significant percentage describe themselves as unsuccessful on dating apps. Key challenges included profile quality, communication barriers, and dissatisfaction with app features.
Psychology research further underscored the negative impact of online dating, with phenomena like ghosting and orbiting exacerbating feelings of disappointment and self-doubt. These findings emphasized the need for innovative solutions that prioritize user experience and well-being.
The Facets Solution: Mindful, Genuine Connection
Facets differentiates itself through several key features:
- Friend Contributions: Users can invite friends to contribute to their profiles, offering a multifaceted view of their personality.
- Daily Profile Limit: This encourages selectivity and intentional decision-making.
- Rejection-Free Model: Promotes a positive and supportive environment.
Design and Development Process
The team followed a user-centered design process, starting with sketches and lo-fi prototypes to explore core concepts. Mid-fi and hi-fi prototypes were then developed, incorporating user feedback to refine the app’s interface and functionality. The app was developed as a web app using React.
Key Takeaways Guiding Facets
- Encourage selectivity and intentional decision-making
- Strike a balance between friend involvement and autonomy
- Create a safe space for all users
Conclusion
Facets establishes new patterns in the saturated dating app market, encouraging users to feel uplifted and excited to put themselves out there. By challenging traditional dating app norms and prioritizing genuine interactions, Facets offers a fresh perspective on online connection.
Future Improvements
If the team had more time and resources, they would research and develop an algorithm to cater profiles to users’ needs, add microinteractions and animations to enhance the user experience, and consult with subject matter experts to leverage their insights on the dating app landscape.