MADE FOR LOVE

Made for Love is a dating app designed specifically to help black women create quality, long-lasting relationships with men while connecting with a community of other women for support and friendship.

Who will use it?

Our target market is black women and men who are proud of their heritage, socially aware, and serious about building long-term relationships.

Why is this app necessary?

Historically, we know that black women have been ill-served by the collaborative filtering used by dating apps. Made for Love seeks to change that dynamic by putting black women in charge while celebrating and highlighting black history, culture, and today's social imperatives. It is this unique attribute that sets us apart in a corporate-dominated dating app market.

How did this come about?

A start-up in Chicago sought help designing a dating app prototype specifically for black women, with a focus on safety.

My client asked for a high-fidelity prototype and MVP. The goal was to deliver a product that highlights safety and excludes sham accounts. Anyone interacting within the app must have the desire to create meaningful connections and relationships.
 
With this in mind, users of the app will find a stringent onboarding process that prohibits shortcuts and necessitates photo verification. Requiring a robust profile along with the ability to identify, flag, and report harassment, racial comments, and fetishes will help ensure honest interactions. I include recommendations to further improve safety in later iterations.

What was my role?

All research and deliverables were my responsibility. I delivered a full-concept prototype and MVP within 5 months, using Balsamiq, Sketch, Invision, Adobe Illustrator and Xd.

RESEARCH

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I did considerable market and competitor research throughout the design build. I looked into Bumble, Tinder, Match, Coffee Meets Bagel, Black People Meet, and Zoosk. OkCupid shares a wealth of research on their blog. Whenever possible, I created profiles and learned how each app works, their upgrade features, how they allow users to interact within the app and with matches. My favorite discovery was Monster Match, created by geniuses associated with Mozilla. Here’s the link if you would like to learn more about collaborative filtering, courtesy of some very cute monsters:

I began with a quick, general survey to see if there were any surprises or interesting suggestions.

Although this was a very small sample of current dating app users, political ideology and social beliefs were mentioned in 3 of the 6 responses and authenticity came up in 2 of 6.

A feature that differentiates this app from others is the community aspect. I sent out a survey to gauge interest in various topics and received 22 responses. 20 out of those 22 respondents were interested in an in-app support community of other women, 21 out of that 22 wanted resources for safe places to meet new dates, and 17 liked the idea of safety and dating tips from guest bloggers.

If you were using a dating app for women to meet men, would a community comprised of other women on the app be of interest to you?

Pie Chart

Which of the following would you find helpful or interesting? Check as many as you like.

line graph illustrating results from survey

Personas were compiled from interviews with women of all ages.

Persona #1, image of woman named Bosede
Persona #2, image of young woman named Joelle
Persona #3, image of woman named Lydia

PROCESS

A project of this size is quite a challenge. I leaned heavily on competitor analyses, repeated interviews, and continual feedback from potential users. I examined what's currently working in established dating applications and what needs improvement, what my users saw as a need unfulfilled, and how to zero in on safety and community while considering usability heuristics.

Basic wireframes were put together for the onboarding process.

Missing is a screen upfront detailing the rationale for the detailed onboarding process. Users should know there will be a lot of questions they need to answer before they can use the app. I intend to add either a progress indicator or a pop-up on each screen.

STYLE

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The color scheme is inspired by the Pan African flag triad of red, green, and black, as well as the singular ensemble chosen by Amanda Gorman for the 2020 Presidential  inaugural.

Style sheet with color scheme of black, white, red, and gray for main, and yellow and green for accents. Photos of Poet Amanda Gorman. Font Styles including Acier Bat Gris and Source Sans Pro. Logo text Acier Bat Gris, Heart logo and buttons states.

Minimum Viable Product

MVP Iteration #1

Feature requirements

"When I am creating a profile I want to be able to convey who I am to potential matches."
Feature: Onboarding/Build a profile

"When I am searching for men, I want to be able to input my preferences such as marital status, geographic location, age, and more." 
Feature: Match preferences

"When I find someone I am interested in, I want to be able to get to know him through internal messaging."  Feature: Chat box

"When I am using the app and want dating support, I want to be able to turn to a community of other women who are also using the app."  Feature: Community chat

"When I am using the app, I want to have the choice to see men at random."
Feature: Turn off collaborative filtering

Success Metrics

To estimate the success of these first features in MVP iteration #1, we should measure:

Number of profiles created
Time spent on app
Referral rate/direct traffic

MVP Iteration #2

Feature requirements

When I am creating a profile I want to be able to connect my social media accounts to share with others on the site. Feature: Social network integration

When I am using the site I would like to see resources for verified, safe places to meet for first dates and other suggestions on what to do on dates. Feature: Community resources

While using the app, I would like to search for partners with specific parameters including geographic area, demographics, and other preferences. Feature: Search function

When I am communicating with someone, I want a video chat within the app.
Feature: Video chat

These features will be added after a successful launch:

In-app ice breaker games, focused on black history and culture. Feature: In app games

Partner with various local black-owned restaurants, event management companies, hotels, b&b’s, car, bike, and other vehicle rental agencies to offer discounts for app users.
Feature: Business partnerships

Expand our Resources page to include historical places of interest to the black community and scavenger hunts in major cities. Feature: Cultural activities

Include a blog to offer relationship advice and current news topics affecting the black community, including social activism, climate awareness and more. Feature: Blog and social activism

Reach out to black influencers on Instagram and ask them to write a newsletter. This cross-promotion will increase visibility for both parties. Feature: Social/celebrity partnership

UI DESIGNS

LINK TO PROTOTYPE