User Profiles Case Study

We removed the one thing everyone said you needed in a dating app: user photos.

Overview

This case study focuses on the user profile design for S'More Date, a mobile dating app fostering a more equitable and personality-driven user experience. As the founding Product Manager and Designer, my role was to create user profiles that effectively visualized someone's personality, ensuring engagement and connection without relying on traditional snap judgments.

Challenge

The core challenge was to build compelling dating app profiles that allowed users to express their individuality and connect authentically, all while intentionally removing profile photos to combat superficial judgment. Initial prototypes revealed that users found profiles "boring" and undifferentiated, struggling to get a sense of personality, leading to low engagement and retention.

Solution

Leveraging user interviews and an impact-versus-effort matrix, we prioritized multi-media elements like audio notes and music playlists, which users were most excited about for self-expression. The solution involved creating dynamic profiles that integrated these elements alongside written prompts and "you match!" badges for shared interests. We also refined the UI by rearranging header components for better cover photo display, randomizing interest order, and adding secondary call-to-action buttons to enhance usability and engagement.

Results

The redesigned S'More user profiles delivered significant improvements in key performance indicators. Day 1 retention soared from 30% to an impressive 60-70%, and the percentage of Daily Active Users (DAUs) who sent chats increased from 14% to 35%. The average app session length more than doubled, from 2 minutes to 6-8 minutes, and the trial-to-subscription conversion rate improved from 38% to 61%. User feedback highlighted the "unique profiles" and the enjoyment of "listening to someone's voice," validating the human-centric approach to personality visualization.

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