Pod Dating
Researching, ideating, designing, and developing an iOS app and service design experience alternative that puts people over profiles.
Tools Used:
Swift, SwiftUI, Figma Firebase
Roles:
Product Designer, Developer
Timeline:
6 months
Overview
Pod Dating is an event-based dating app designed to prioritize people over profiles. The goal was to reimagine dating interactions by moving beyond endless swiping and instead facilitating meaningful, real-world connections, all while addressing core concerns around safety, intentionality, and user trust.
Why Most Dating Apps Aren't the Best...
Most dating apps rely on monetization through paid subscriptions, incentivizing engagement with the platform rather than genuine connections. This leads to:
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Low-quality matches
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Overwhelming user experiences
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Safety concerns, especially for women
How might we design a dating platform that emphasizes quality, safety, and real-world connection, without relying on pay-to-play mechanics?
Competitive Analysis
Understanding the Competition
There are some great options out there for people looking to match with people around you.
Hinge:
Shows information about people in an effective way
Encourages users to scroll through some of the profile
Tinder:
Users can get a lot of matches
Users get too many matches most of which are low quality
Bumble:
Swiping can lead to a lot of matches
Still feels like a hookup app to many
Has a lot of the same problems as Tinder
Interviews
Talking to People
I interviewed 15 people early on to understand the key problems of the dating market.
"I don't like dating apps because I'm honestly scared of getting hurt."- 24-year-old woman
"Dating apps can feel like a meat market"- a 21-year-old man
"Dating apps can be fun, but it takes a while to find someone that I actually like" - a 22-year-old woman
Key Insights
Safety was the main apprehension for women on dating apps. Addressing this would be critical. Next was the feeling of being the product on the app. This stems from the incentive structure of dating apps which is to encourage the purchase of a premium subscription.
Sentiment Analysis
From user reviews of Tinder:
"This app is trash. First of all, they nickel and dime you on every single thing..."
"What used to be a brilliantly simple and effective dating app has turned into a frustrating, convoluted, pay-walled mess."
From user reviews of Hinge:
"They allow you to sort by things like age range, ethnicity, religion, etc."
"Had the app for about 3 weeks, 1 match in countless hours of swiping. Either I'm the most unattractive male on here or women simply don't use it."
Ideating
Toward the beginning, I wanted to create an event-based dating experience that blended digital convenience and advancements with the real world. This maps directly to user feedback of other dating apps which emphasize the digital experience over the real-world experience.
Early sketches
Mid-Fidelity Wireframing User Flow
Key Learnings from Testing with users
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I tested using buttons and swiping interaction techniques with users and found that though swiping is quicker, the goal of reading through profiles and focusing on quality is better served by buttons.
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I tested whether or not events would best be served by having a dating app mechanic as well. Originally, my thought was that users would be invited to attend events. This turned out to not test well with users requiring me to go back to the drawing board
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I kept messaging standard to keep in line with conventions.
Creating a Design System
High Fidelity in Figma
Key Learnings from Testing with users
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After trying multiple methods of confirmation, I found that the QR code confirmation was the overall best option to confirm event attendance and also allow people who were unaware of the app to join. This decision sparks stickiness and increases user value and decreases customer acquisition cost by meeting users where they are.
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There is also no right answer to the question of whether or not to have many pictures. More photos can help users see who people are like, but they go against the spirit of the service.
The Value Proposition
What is this app really?
After getting valuable data from my mockups, I found that this service is not necessarily comparable to other dating apps but is more similar to apps such as Eventbrite and Meetup. This takeaway is key to changes in the revenue model and the user experience.
Best way to monetize?
Monetization strategy and its effects on experience
The monetization strategy of Pod Dating is one of the main competitive advantages of the service. We are able to essentially act as a marketing service for local businesses that want to increase foot traffic. This benefits users as the incentive structure remains is superior and it benefits small businesses that have great venues that are underutilized.
Login Flow (Developed in Swift/SwiftUI)
The login flow focuses on simply using your Apple ID for improved security. Email is also an option as it is a relatively common way to sign into apps. Other options such as phone and Facebook can also be added easily.
I've tested whether or not it makes most sense to set up the profile during the onboarding process or after. The results are somewhat mixed. The main tradeoff is that longer onboarding processes tend to increase the likelihood of completion. The compromise I've decided on now is to require further profile building to like/pass on people after the event.
Product Demo (Developed in Swift/SwiftUI)
Pod's focus is people over profiles. I think this work has been successful in demonstrating the advantages of Online-to-Offline apps that bring people together and create shared experiences.
This project has helped me see how listening to users is crucial to creating any product. This should be done before any design or development begins. Understanding the needs and desires of a person goes a long way in creating an experience that they will love.
The Value of Technical Prototypes
I strongly believe that technical prototypes are the best way to get high-quality user feedback as it does not require users to suspend disbelief. With a technical prototype, it is much easier to learn what can be changed. It also crucially saves developers time and headache while advocating for what design teams do. In my career, I have already seen the benefits of having someone who can create technical prototypes to achieve buy-in from multiple stakeholders and ensure designs are followed when possible and adapted when necessary.