IBM ENTERPRISE DESIGN THINKING

How might we improve the
online dating experience?

IBM EDT Co-Creators: Alvin Liu, Darryl Khoo, Paul Teh, Nicole Lim, Teresa Tan

We kick-started the project thinking we could work on improving the online dating experience. We did not expect the solution involved improving the whole dating experience as a whole.

Our observations of the dating app experienced were further affirmed when the team scoured for secondary research online.

32% of 1,774 Singapore respondents have used dating apps
Women are 54% more likely to feel burned out by the whole dating process
Singapore users spent 10 times longer on the app than they did before the pandemic
59% of women and 55% of men have either a somewhat or very negative opinion on dating sites and apps
36% adults between 25-34 years old uses Match.com (36%)—the top dating site for creating serious, long-term relationships 4

Generating the ‘How Might We’ Statement

We brainstormed for ideas on framing our ‘How Might We’ statement and voted our favourite ideas based on the research that was done individually.

Generating Research Strategies using the IBM EDT

Research Objectives:

Understand the ways that single working professionals use to increase the chances of finding a compatible life partner.
Identify the current different stages of dating that leads to long term relationship.
Understand what are the pain points and challenges of finding a compatible life partner for single working professionals.
Understanding the user’s ideal dating journey.
Understand the feelings and motivations as to why they want to improve the dating game.

From our mural board discussion and idea generation, we identified 10 categories of questions:

Date Criteria
Date Frequency
Dating Approach
Concerns of Online Dating
Long Term Approach
Thought Process / Self Evaluation
Gauging Openness
Pressured Moves
Determining Criteria
Decision Making

Empathy Map

Results from the User Research is then summarized in an Empathy Map and As-Is Scenario Map. This helped the team to know what the persona say, do, think and feel. We also grouped the entries into various categories.

Defining User Persona

As-is Scenario Map

From the As-Is Scenario Map, the team identified the pain points and grouped them into 5 categories. The team then voted on the category of pain points that we felt matter most to the development of the solution design.

Pain Points

Reframing the ‘How Might We’ Statement

Reframing HMW statement for ideation based on the key insights gathered.

Big Ideas

Brainstorming big ideas.

Idea Prioritization

The team then voted according to (1) importance to users and (2) feasibility to organisation and summarised the votes tallies on the prioritisation grid. From the prioritisation grid, the team decided to focus on the 3 ideas that could be incorporated into the app.

Storyboarding the Persona Playback

Once the team have the full buy in for the big ideas, we proceeded to open 30 minutes to make a story board each. Once completed, each team member spent about 10 minutes to playback their story. The team then voted for the frame that resonated most to the overall experience and went on to finalise the storyboard.

Hill Statement

Prototyping

User Feedback

Prototype Iteration 2

Research Statistics Source:

Joschka Müller, 7 April 2021, Most used mobile dating apps in Singapore 2020, Rakuten Insight,{https://www.statista.com/statistics/1187795/singapore-leading-mobile-dating-apps/}
Megan McClintock, 24 October 2019, The Psychology of Dating Apps, Start It Up, {https://medium.com/swlh/the-psychology-of-dating-apps-d014c304bdbe}
Jean Liu, 13 January 2021, Commentary: Rise in online dating during pandemic may see more serious relationships, marriages in next few years, Channel News Asia, {https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/more-online-dating-marriage-singapore-2021-serious-relationships-390991}
Jon Gitlin, Dating apps are common, useful—and widely disliked, Survey Monkey, {https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/dating-apps-and-sites-are-almost-as-common-as-they-are-disliked/}