Project Type

Year: 2019 (redesigned in 2022)

Category: Preventative Care

Product: App (Android)

Agency

N/A. Passion project

My Role

User research, conceptualization, visual design and prototyping.

Why it matters

Approximately one-quarter of Americans aged 65+ are considered socially isolated, and 43% reported feeling lonely. Isolation and loneliness are associated with a 50% increased risk of dementia, a 32% increased risk of stroke along with other chronic illnesses [1].

How do we combat this? According to Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, close relationship, more than money or fame, is the key to happiness and health.

Define the Problem

TOOLS & METHODS

Qualitative interviews, Literature Review, Personas, Participant Observation 

Over the last 10 years, 60+ is one of the fastest-growing online daters. In 2019, 19% of 55-64 years olds and 13% of the 64+ crowd tried online dating[2]. The alluring promise of technology as the ultimate wingman changed the dating scene permanently. However, is online dating actually working for older adults over 50?

To find out, I interviewed 5 participants who were over the age of 50 through convenience sampling. I also referenced recent studies and observed discussion forums on older adults’ online dating experiences to analyze their diverse dating needs.

Upon studying, older online daters can be segmented into three representative personas - romance-seeker, companionship-seeker, and explorer.

But what sets older adults’ dating experiences apart from young adults? Is there a need for older-adult-centered design?

What’s different

Most of the older online daters were divorced, widowed, or single parents. They are much more emotionally invested compared to younger adults due to their shrunken social circles, making them more vulnerable to rejection. Having had long-term relationships, older adults also value interpersonal connection more than sexual attraction. Women over 50 prioritize health and financial stability when choosing a date, while older men look for youthfulness and physical attractiveness [3,5].

What’s popular

To assess “familiar” online-dating experiences for older adults (Jakob’s Law), I also conducted participant observations of the top dating apps among older adults [3] and consolidated my findings into a feature comparison chart.

What’s difficult

Contrary to the list of promising features above, many seem to find online dating unsuccessful and give up after a few attempts [5]. Here are some of the reasons:

🦹‍♂️ Misrepresented Profiles

People suck at selling themselves. Those who are good at it are simply good at guessing and checking off boxes. Study shows, older adults spend more time creating youthful profiles that often misrepresent their look, age, health, and weight [3].

😞Insecure about dating at their age

All five older adults interviewed think they are too old to “pick someone up at a bar” or feel “out-of-practice.” The insecurity is escalated in women over 50+, in which 7 out of 10 believe they become ‘invisible’ to the opposite sex [6].

🔍 Excessive Searching Bias

Also known as the paradox of choice. Infinite options can actually lead to poor decision-making and reduced selectivity. Users may also feel like they are on a digital menu waiting to be chosen or disregarded.

💔 Lack of In-person Chemistry

Imagine spending weeks creating the perfect profiles, filtering out matches, getting matched, and chatting online only to meet up choking in silence.

🧨 Safety Concerns

Romance scam is a major and recurring concern for older adults. Scammers are increasingly hard to spot, assuming the identity of real people. The risk of violence, financial exploitation, threats, and physical harm while dating is also higher among older adults [7]. Top dating apps like Tinder have taken measures introducing safety training, quizzes, photo, and ID verifications to prevent fraud and harassment.

The Big Picture

I mapped out a high-level current state journey to discover and prioritize the essential features that would generate maximum value for users (the Pareto principle).

Inclusive Dating

Instead of obsessing over the “perfect” profile and increasing match numbers, the effectiveness of a dating service should be judged by the quality of conversations and offline interactions. Moreover, older women should be celebrated for their wisdom and charm instead of being ruled out by age filters.

I consulted my participants using the journey map and distilled it down to 4 design opportunities that will drive the most value:

How might we…

1. Create an open-minded dating environment by managing preconceived expectations?

2. Prevent passive rejection such as ghosting prior to and after meetup?

3. Build authentic profiles without being anxiety-inducing or overwhelming?

4. Improve the quality of conversation when matches meetup?

Refine & Iterate

TOOLS & METHODS

Concept and Usability Testing, User Flow, Prototype, Atomic (UI components)

An iterative process

Five concept-testing sessions using a mid-fidelity android app prototype were conducted in 2019. From testing, I learned many key online-dating issues still haven’t been addressed.

Learnings and Result

Boost in-person chemistry

By replacing the like button with the messages button, we encourage users to start conversations rather than swiping endlessly. Voice-based interaction, such as audio messages, also creates stronger social bonds and no increase in awkwardness (opposite of what most people think)[8].

Be open-minded

Age is merely a number. An active person in his 80s might look and feel younger than someone in his 70s. In the new design, age is placed further down the profile so users can focus on one’s fitness and interests.

Enhance authenticity

Profile creation is getting increasingly social, with friends or family advising on what’s your “best side.” With the “wingman” feature, family and friends can broadcast to the world how awesome you’re from their perspectives.

Hassle-free onboard and profile setup

Reduce cognitive overload by leaving profile creation for later. Once users have registered/signed in, they only have to complete three simple prompts to arrive at the Discovery page.

Discourage ghosting

Make sure users have the bandwidth to chat with their matches by pausing their profile every now and then. A timely reminder will also show up on inactive chats to nudge users to respond or move on.