Discover Meaningful Connections By letting your personality Shine

Project

Adding a Feature

Role

User Researcher
Product Designer

Timeframe

January 2023

Focus

User Research
User Experience
Visual Design
Prototyping

Overview

ONLINE DATING TODAY

Over the years, online dating has obtained a stigma because of cat-fishers, spam accounts, and low quality profiles. While people recognize the convenience of online dating, it can be challenging for people to form genuine connections online. However, I believed there was a way to help bridge the gap between meeting people online vs in-person. My goal was to design a dating feature within Instagram that leads to more authentic profiles and better quality matches.

Hand holding a phone and the screen is loading Instagram

OPPORTUNITY

Dating apps are the most convenient way to meet people, which is why so many people continue to use them. With how accessible the internet and smartphones have become, there is no reason to doubt the continued growth of dating apps. Despite the pandemic affecting many businesses, there was actually a spike in demand for dating apps. “On March 2020, Tinder’s SWIPE activity broke 3 million in a single day” (Business of Apps).

Instagram has also continued to stay one of the most popular social media platforms since its launch in 2010 (Statista). The platform continues to grow by introducing new features to its users (i.e. Stories in 2016, Reels in 2020). Of all types of posts, Instagram Reels is the most engaging content type at 1.95% followed by Stories (Social Insider).

Source: Statista

Source: Business of Apps

By leveraging Instagram’s existing popularity and user base and creating a dating feature on Instagram, users can connect with people in another way - romantically.

Go to Final Product

WE WANT TO KNOW

Why people use or don't use dating apps
How people feel about current dating apps
How people feel about connecting their social media accounts to their dating profiles

OUR COMPETITORS

I researched 4 existing dating platforms: Tinder, Bumble, Facebook Dating, and Hinge to understand what’s on the market currently. While all apps are meant for dating, the apps distinguish themselves depending on the type of relationship people are looking for (i.e. short-term vs long-term) and this also influences the design of the product.

All platforms except for Facebook Dating have premium features that users can pay for to better their online dating experience. Like Facebook Dating, Instagram Dating would be free and would not require users to download a new app. Rather, an advantage of Instagram Dating is being able to utilize the user’s existing Instagram account that is already filled with photo and video content.

WHO WE TALKED TO

All participants

have an Instagram account
are currently using dating apps or have used dating apps in the past

Participants

23-33

Ages

Message bubble asking "which dating apps are you currently using?"

Message bubble replying saying they use Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. Out of all the apps, users mainly use Hinge because of the way the platform is set up. It lets them get to know the person more.

Message bubble asking "how do you feel about online dating?"

Message bubble replying "it's so much easier than meeting people organically and you get to meet more people than you would in-person. It's hard to tell the person's vibe online"

Message bubble asking "Why did you decide to use dating apps?"

Message replies saying "it's the most convenient option to meet people," "I know friends and mutuals that have had success on dating apps" and "honestly, I'm bored and lonely"

Message bubble asking "If you stopped using dating apps, what was the reason?"

Message replying saying "I met someone!" 4 out of 7 participants are currently dating someone they met from the apps

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Regardless of relationship goals (short-term vs long-term), users mainly used Hinge because of the way the platform is set up. Hinge puts users in a position to put more effort into their profiles than Tinder or Bumble. The prompts help showcase users’ personalities, giving insight to who they are.
When asked if users connected their Instagram accounts to their dating profiles, results were split in half. Those that connected their accounts did it to showcase more of themselves. Perhaps, there is a middle ground here, giving users more control of how they want to share their Instagram profiles.
Bad dates, no good matches, and not seeing profiles you like are all contributing facts as to why users delete or go off the dating apps. A person’s online dating experience is contingent on who they come across.
There is lack of incentive and desire for users to want to pay for premium features, even if it means enhancing their online dating experience. Although frustrating, the free version is usually enough for users.

With the target audience and problem statement defined, it was time to start thinking about what the main flows would be for this feature to be successful. The user and task flows created would later help me develop all the necessary high fidelity screens.

UI DESIGN

As this was a new feature being added to Instagram, it was important to maintain consistency by adhering to existing branding and design guidelines. The UI components and screens that I created were aimed to mimic closely to existing elements. I referenced existing screens that drove the UI design of my screens. For instance, I utilized the existing onboarding screens below for the onboarding screens for the dating feature.

The key UI elements that I had to finalize were the colors and logo for Instagram Dating.

Dating is linked with love, which is often associated with pinks and reds. Thus, I thought a pink gradient would be appropriate for the feature. Additionally, given that Instagram is a visually-driven platform, I opted to make the logo simple and consistent with the brand. I added the word "dating"after the existing logo and developed the following logo for the feature:

INITIAL IDEAS

To me, the flow that would set apart Instagram Dating from current dating apps would be how user profiles are presented. This was where the biggest opportunity would be in differentiating Instagram Dating from other platforms. This would also be where users spend most of their time.

I mocked up 2 options for how users would view other dating profiles so that it’s easier to communicate what I envisioned. I brought up these ideas to my mentor as well as group critique sessions for feedback.

Option 1: Mimicking Instagram's Flow of Reels

Option 2: Mimicking User Profiles

Feedback on Initial Screens

While the look of Option 1 seems more clean, the motion of swiping up to see the next profile is a new gesture that’s not intuitive or familiar. This caused confusion and pushback. Users associated liking and disliking by swiping right and left, respectively.
Option 2 is more interesting and plays on Instagram’s existing features. Users felt that this could make Instagram Dating unique compared to existing dating apps while still feeling familiar.

My main concern with Option 2 was it looking too crowded and overwhelming. However, I think people saw it as a smart use of Instagram’s existing profile view. It lets users gain a holistic view of someone by seeing their overall vibe rather than just one single picture, which is what most people are used to seeing.

USABILITY TESTING

I turned my high fidelity wireframes into a prototype that I tested with 6 participants. The following tasks were performed by each participant:

1 - Locating Instagram Dating & Setting Up a Dating Profile

2 - Disliking & Liking Profiles

3 - Share Post/Story/Reel to Match

4 - Matching with Someone

Click Here To See Figma Prototype

Results

Participants were able to complete majority of the tasks without issues and expressed that being able to send their matches posts/stories/reels was their favorite feature that they could see as being a big plus to Instagram Dating. They felt that was the easiest and best feature.

Below, you will find more details regarding several iterations that were made based on the feedback received.

FEEDBACK & ITERATIONS

1- Entry Point for Instagram Dating

FEEDBACK

While 3 participants didn’t question its placement, the other 3 were confused as to why it would be located there since the dating profile created was not a new account, but rather an extension of the existing instagram account - which I agreed with.

There was confusion about the entry point for Instagram Dating. The entry was located in the “Add Accounts” view.

ITERATION V1 - MENU

After hearing the feedback, I agreed with users that it was not necessarily a new Instagram account and so that location doesn’t inherently make sense.

Thus I located the entry point in the menu section and tested this iteration with 2 additional participants. The problem with this option was that it felt hidden.

In this situation, it would make sense that when the new feature is rolled out that Instagram would probably have pop-ups on the main page to let users know about the new feature. However, after that period, it could be very hidden. As a result, I decided to explore another option shown below.

ITERATION V2 - USER'S DASHBOARD

The next exploration was having the entry point on the user’s profile page. This makes it a lot more visible and is easier to access than if it was located in the menu section.

4 - Matching with Someone

UI Improvements

Moved the match's name down, just like how the card looks when you're in the browsing page
Added the prompt above the response for clarity
Added the heart icon next to the response bubble to indicate that you can also click on the message to respond

Next Steps

In the final prototype, I have the entry point located on the user’s dashboard because this iteration makes the entry point extremely visible and clear. I gained some feedback from some additional participants, and they felt that this entry point was very easy to locate. However, I would like to perform additional AB testing on the 2 iterations (in the menu section vs. on dashboard) to further confirm the best option. I would also consider having both options although this might be redundant. The menu section is only accessible on the profile page, so having both “Dating Profile” button on the dashboard as well as in the menu section might not be necessary.

Introducing Instagram Dating

Easily Create a Dating Profile

Helping you set yourself up for success with our onboarding process.

Create Posts & Prompts for Your Profile

Create posts just like on your regular Instagram account as well as prompts to let people get to know you better!

Getting the Overall Picture

Rather than focusing on just one picture at a time, get a holistic view of the other person.

Comment/Like on Anything

Leave comments and likes on Instagram Dating. You can directly comment or like anything on the person's dating profile. Get creative!

More Than Just a Like

Receive more than just a like from your matches. It's time to get the conversation going.

🔥 FAN FAVORITE FEATURE

Sharing Posts/Stories/Reels with Your Matches

Share posts/stories/reels with your matches! Share your interests and carry interesting conversations within the same platform.

Reflection

This project has taught me to be intentional about my design decisions and how each person can have different mental models that I need to consider. When thinking about where the entry point for Instagram Dating would be, it felt very intuitive to have it at the “Accounts” view even after consideration. However, it wasn’t until the 4th and 5th usability test that participants pushed back and explained why they didn’t expect the entry point to be where it was. I was extremely appreciative of their feedback because essentially they were right - and I agreed. This forced me to think more deeply about the ways that users can discover Instagram Dating. If I had more time, I would continue to test this and see which location would be the most intuitive and ideal location.

In addition, I learned how different people react to change. Change can be positive and negative. Sometimes users won’t appreciate change until it’s set in motion. Other times, changing too much of what they already know can be frustrating for the user. When getting initial feedback on how to like or dislike profiles, I introduced the idea of swiping up to move onto the next profile. Lots of participants were not open to this gesture since they were used to swiping left and right. This just demonstrates how tricky and exciting design can be. There is a balance to it and as a designer, I need to know when to push or fall back on certain ideas.