Hinge: Adding a Feature
PROBLEM
Now more than ever, people are combating feelings of isolation by forging new relationships online. Please welcome to the stage - online dating apps! Millions of users worldwide turn to dating apps, such as Hinge, seeking to make genuine connections. Unfortunately, instead of feeling the giddiness of being one step closer to finding a partner, users often feel exhausted. The cycle of meaningless small talk, flaky matches, ghosting, and awkward first dates can make dating apps feel like a waste of users’ precious time. Hinge users wish to spend less time behind their screens and more time making authentic connections in the real world.
SOLUTION
A location based event feature to connect local Hinge users with shared interests.
A post event, in app experience, to facilitate new matches and chats between event attendees.
Overview
ROLE: UX /UI Designer
REQUIREMENTS: Adding a feature to Hinge
TIMELINE Approximately 80 hours
TOOLS: Figma, Whimsical, Miro, Useberry, Zoom
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EMPATHIZE
Industry Research
Competitive Analysis
1:1 User Interviews
Affinity Map
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DEFINE
Persona
Empathy Map
User Journey Map
Brainstorm
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IDEATE
Sitemap
Task Flows
User Flows
Wireframes
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PROTOTYPE & TEST
High fidelity Prototype
Useberry Usability Test
1:1 Moderated Usability Tests
Iterations
A deep dive into the world of dating apps.
Dating apps have completely changed the game. While these apps offer exciting, new ways for people to meet, they also have many pitfalls. By understanding the industry and users’ pain points, I gained clarity on the gaps in the market and potential ways to improve the Hinge user experience.
UX RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
Industry Research
Online dating apps are growing exponentially
The online dating services market is expected to grow by USD 3.56 billion from 2020 to 2024 as per the latest market report by Technavio.
As of 2021, there were 30.4 million dating app users in the USA.
By 2040, 70% of couples are predicted to meet online.
Romantic relationships are not the only goal for most online daters. Friendship, communication by interests, and any other forms of companionship can significantly increase the customer base of future dating applications.
Advances in AI and VR dating on are the horizons. Dating in the Metaverse will allow users to go on dates without leaving their own sofas or actually even meeting in person (for better or for worse)!
Competitive Analysis
The industry has plenty of room for improvement!
I conducted a competitive analysis to look at direct and indirect competitors (Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, and Meetup).
I also used this opportunity to dissect Hinge’s current user experience. Hinge’s 3 main direct competitors still rely on the model of endless, appearance based swiping - this is not what users want! Instead user’s prefer value-driven, personalized apps that privilege quality over quantity.
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"Designed to be deleted"
Hinge puts an emphasis on authenticity and uses engaging prompts to help users’ personalities, intentions and values shine! While Hinge is making great strides to change up the dating app game, there is always room for improvement and opportunities to enhance the user experience.
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"Swipe Right"
Tinder relies on the app’s addictive nature to keep users looking for the next best thing. A unique feature includes “Swipe Surge” which alerts users when activity is up 15% on the app . The info on Tinder profiles tends to be pretty scarce, and the unintuitive UI results in a high rate of user error, particularly accidental Super Swiping— embarrassing!
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“We’re not just for dating anymore”
Bumble has spread its wings to include the features of Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizzz. The “women first app” pushes for kindness, respect, and healthy relationships. On the downside, bare user profiles lack transparency and paid features prey on users’ vulnerabilities.
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“For every Single Person”
The strengths of OKCupid include progressive inclusivity! It is the first app to introduce 22 genders and 12 orientation options. On the downside, there have been reports of a high number of fake accounts due to a lack of profile verification. Additionally, the interface can look chaotic, boxy and clustered.
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“Meetup Creates Opportunities”
Meetup is a great app for building community and enabling users to connect face to face based on mutual interests. On the downside, Meetup’s navigation is confusing and CTA buttons can often be unclear.
User Interviews
Giving the users a voice…
To gain more knowledge on the highs and lows of dating apps, I conducted one-on-one interviews with 4 Hinge users. Based on the patterns observed, I created an affinity map and grouped notes based on prominent pain points. All participants voiced grievances when asked about their current dating app experiences.
Most users shared the same conflicting theme. On one hand, they had witnessed dating app success stories in their friend circles. On the other hand, there was an overall tone of defeat in their personal experiences. Common sentiments were that online dating feels overly orchestrated, superficial, and inauthentic. Additionally, the gamification of dating apps quickly gets old and ultimately leads to feelings of discouragement. Listening to the needs of users will help to implement product improvements and deliver a unique user experience to stand out in the industry.
The problem? “I just want to meet someone out in the wild!”
Users feel unfulfilled by the shallow world of online dating. However; they acknowledge their generation (Millenials and Gen Z) relies on dating apps to meet significant others. How will I add a feature that will help Hinge users connect in more authentic ways? To solidify my understanding of users’ pain points and brainstorm potential solutions, I created a persona, empathy map, and user journey map.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
“As a Hinge user, I want more natural ways to meet other singles in my area. I want to spend less time behind my screen chatting with strangers, and more time out in the world making genuine connections.”
Integrating a new “Hinge Event” feature into an existing framework.
Inspired by the problem statement, the Hinge Events feature was created. To ensure that the new feature would fit seamlessly into the existing user experience, I created a site map, task flows, users flows, and wireframes.
Designing a feature to help users make organic connections…
With the feature’s foundation established, my next steps were sketching, low-fi wireframes, a style tile and hi-fidelity mockups. The wireframes were developed centered on the following user tasks:
Selecting Activities/Interests & adjusting Event Privacy settings
Searching & filtering for a list of upcoming events
RSVPing to an event and sending invites
Rating an event and sending a message to another event attendee.
The grand debut - gaining valuable insight from Hinge users.
I prototyped using Figma and conducted moderated & unmoderated usability tests. Participants in the moderated tests were encouraged to openly share their thought process as they navigated the prototype. Participants in the unmoderated tests were given an opportunity (after each task) to rate their experience and share their feedback and pain points.
Usability Test Strategy & Methods
I created a usability test plan and recruited 9 participants for an unmoderated test via Useberry, and 2 participants for moderated tests via Zoom. The usability test consisted of a 5 second scan, 4 tasks, and follow up questions. 4 out of the 11 users consisted of the participants from the original user interviews. This was my first time using Useberry, and I was quite impressed by the platform. Despite some finicky prototype hotspots, it was smooth sailing.
Usability Test Findings
Overall the usability tests results were very positive! Users expressed a lot of interest in the Hinge Events feature. That being said, there is always room for improvement and the users feedback provided valuable insight for the next steps. Following the usability tests, I made an affinity map to organize the results. This helped to define prominent successes, pain points, and areas to focus on for priority iterations.
PRIORITY ITERATIONS
Thanks for scrolling!
This was such a fun project and a great way to learn how to work cohesively with an existing product! I discovered that even if you’re an established app, like Hinge, there’s always opportunities to improve your users’ experience. Listening to users’ stories, ideating on potential solutions, testing, and iterating were all invaluable tools in this project.
For the next step, I would like to explore the user flows for creating a Hinge Event.
