Hinge
Helping users to write more memorable profiles and initiate engaging chats
• Competitive Analysis
• User Interviews
• Affinity Mapping
• User Persona
• HMW's
• Hi-fi wireframes
• Prototyping
• Copy tailored to users
PROJECT CONTEXT
Swiped Out
There has been a proliferation of dating apps in the past decade, with nearly have of the adult population (18-49) having reported trying one. Yet despite their popularity, general user satisfaction with dating Apps has been mixed. There has been a recent shift away from using them among younger demographics. Common complaints are that they're overpriced, manipulative, addictive, or largely ineffective.
THE PROBLEM
The Hinge Hangover
Hinge leads the competition as the dominant App for users seeking relationships. Yet, like the other Apps, it suffers a range of criticism. Many users complain that despite the apparent abundance of options, success is elusive. Matches can be few, chats often fizzle out, and users wind up meeting few people. Many burn out on endless swiping.
*Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/dating_advice/comments/my4gwx/some_
thoughts_about_dating_apps/.
THE GOAL
Read Between the Swipes
To better understand why users experience so much frustration, I chatted with some regular users who were familiar with the Apps' ups and downs. Talking to them helped me understand where they struggle and why. They inspired me to innovate some clever features to help the App yield better results for users.
RESEARCH GOAL #1
To understand the challenges users face with Hinge
RESEARCH GOAL #2
To understand what motivates users to swipe right, initiate chats, & meet other users
RESEARCH GOAL #3
To understand what deters users from swiping right or chatting
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Methods
After identifying my research goals, I chose tools that would help me learn more about the user and gain these insights:
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Online Forum Reviews
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User Interviews
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Affinity Mapping
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Competitive Analysis
1. Online Forum Reviews
A brief review of comments posted in online communities like Reddit made it easy to validate my sense that there's a lot of frustration and burnout with dating apps.
"I tried it for 6 months and got 3 dates... total waste of time."
JohnDoe21, Reddit user
"Lots of generic profiles.. are they bots or scammers??"
DanT, Reddit user
"Maybe there are better profiles but you have to pay $$ to access them. It's rigged."
JessicaR, Reddit user
2. User Interviews
Next, I spoke to regular dating App users to better understand their experiences and frustrations. These insights emerged.
What encourages users to swipe right and send messages
Users gravitate to profiles with shared interests or background.
They're more likely to swipe right or start a chat with someone they feel an immediate connection to. The chats tend to be more engaging and lead to meet ups more often.
What discourages users from swiping right or sending messages
Generic profiles don't inspire interest.
Users tend to write profiles with basic facts or glib comments that make them forgettable. Without details to spark interest, other users are less likely to swipe right on them. Those who do find it harder to start conversation.
Users struggle to start engaging conversations.
Users who match often struggle to think of what to write. So, they avoid chatting, or they write something generic like, "How are you?" These openers feel tired & unengaging. The most common reason cited for dropping chats was dull conversation.*
*It's worth pointing out that people don't typically start conversations with strangers in real life by saying, "How are you?" There's usually an introduction of sorts.
3. Affinity Mapping
My insights were derived by clustering the feedback I got from users and noting the emerging patterns. The most relevant insights are legible.
4. Competitive Analysis
I examined what features current dating Apps offer to serve these needs. Analyzing these features helped me brainstorm how to better serve users -with enhanced or new features.
App Features
Hinge
bumble
THE
league
My Reflections
TO ENHANCE PROFILES
• Lets users state 'fun facts'
• Lets users record video intros
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X
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This was an interesting idea -it made sense to 'prompt' users to think of interesting things to say. They're not good at self promotion.
Users didn't say anything to suggest they would want video, but it seemed like a good idea... My sample size was tiny!
TO INITIATE CHATS
• Sends chat 'openers'
X
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This struck me as a really good idea -users said it was hard to strike up dialogue with a stranger. But they also complained about generic openers.
TO SUSTAIN CHATS
• Lets users extend chats
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This seemed to be on the right track.. users can get distracted or lose interest easily.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Methods
After gaining insight into why users have gotten frustrated with the Apps and how they fall short, I felt ready to brainstorm features that would address some of these issues.
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User Persona
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How Might We statements
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Ideation
1. User Persona
To put myself in the shoes of my users, I created a persona who captures their goals and frustrations. This visual aid helped me to empathize with the user and imagine what features s/he might benefit from.
Lauren, 37
About
Lauren is a 37 year old lawyer who has ridden the ups & downs of dating Apps. She likes seeing new profiles, but it can be hard to connect. She doesn't know how to approach her matches & casual chats often fizzle out.
Goals
• Find a boyfriend
Needs
Motivations
• Desire to be more settled;
• Desire for the physical & emotional intimacy of a partner
• Tools that will help her connect with men she can relate to;
• Ways to communicate that feel natural & fun
Frustrations
• Searching for matches & chatting is exhausting -it's hard to tell if they have anything in common;
• She feels discouraged each time it doesn't work out
"Life is the journey... not the destination."
2. How Might We statements
Before moving to the ideation phase, I used my insights to broadly articulate the kinds of solutions that would best serve users' needs.
HWM statement #1
HMW encourage users to create profiles that are more eye-catching & memorable?
HWM statement #2
HMW encourage users to share personal, meaningful facts about themselves that might resonate with other users?
HWM statement #3
HMW make it easier for users to initiate conversations with engaging, thoughtful questions?
3. Ideation
Feature 1. PROMPT USERS TO SHARE MEANINGFUL FACTS.
Many users complain that they feel awkward filling out profiles. Most write brief bios or they leave sections blank. Profiles often reflect basic demographical data alone.
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​Hinge asks users ice breaker questions intended to elicit engaging content. The questions are clever, but users can still give trite answers.
Hinge gives prompts like, "This year I really want to..." and "Typical Sunday":
* The names of actual users are changed & faces blurred. But the copy is unedited.
Research suggests that when asked emotionally provocative questions, people tend to give more thoughtful responses. Profiles with more heartfelt, personal disclosures are more likely to spark interest in other users.
Hinge could give more personal prompts like, "My most traumatizing embarrassment" or "my scariest memory."
* The copy is edited to show how users might respond to different questions.
Feature 2. SUGGEST OPENERS UNIQUELY TAILORED TO USERS.
Users often struggled to write interesting openers. So, they would lapse into generic greetings and not even try. Other users then complained that they were put off by glib intro's. "How are you?" was the classic example. Some dating Apps offer suggested openers, but they are equally glib.
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My new feature uses AI to suggest openers that are unique​ly customized to user profiles.
My new feature is an AI coach that scans matching profiles and suggests personalized openers.
Lauren matches with Doug & views his profile under 'Profile'
Under 'Chat', Lauren clicks on the AI Dating Coach...
And gets some suggested openers.
Lauren picks an opener
And hits send...
THE TESTING PROCESS
Methods
It was time to test the features to see what might work, and what could be improved upon. I used the following tools:
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Discussion with stakeholders
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User Surveys
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Back-end metrics
1. Discussion with stakeholders
Changing the copy on prompts would be cosmetic and easy to do.
The AI feature I'm suggesting would require sophisticated technology to implement. I'd want to talk to back-end developers and engineers to determine how feasible it would be to develop. I'd also advocate these features to the PM. I'd argue that they're critical to improve user success.
2. User Surveys
Feature 1 (write more emotionally provocative prompts) is purely semantic. I created a Google survey to ask volunteers more provocative questions. Analysis is subjective and anecdotal, but these responses suggest that they might inspire more heartfelt, personal answers.
Question: What was your most traumatizing embarrassment?
"Stepping on a cockroach barefoot."
Volunteer 1
"When I almost drowned once."
Volunteer 2
"Childhood."
Volunteer 3
Feature 2 (use AI to generate personalized openers) is a little harder to test anecdotally. See below...
3. Back-end metrics
I don't work for Hinge. But back-end metrics would be an effective way to test the popularity of both features. Engineers could look at user activity. Are more users swiping right? How often do they use AI openers?​
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Currently, Apps solicit feedback directly from users with pop-ups that ask if they met the user they were chatting with.
4. The final Prototype
This prototype brings the changes to life!​
