Third WheelTransforming Online Dating by Putting Your Inner Circle in Charge
Role
1:4 UX Designer
Date: July 29 - August 22, 2024
Methods and Tools
Secondary Research, Primary Research, Data Synthesis & Analysis, Wireframes, Annotated Wireframes, Interactive Prototyping, Remote Usability Testing, Figma, FigJam, Miro, Zoom
Deliverables
What is Third Wheel?
Third Wheel is a dating app that brings trusted friends and family—"The Crew"—into the matchmaking process. The idea was conceived by Billy and Megan Mzenga, a married couple who saw their single friends struggle to find meaningful relationships.
The Problem
The online dating landscape is challenging, with users facing rejection, stress, and burnout from superficial interactions. Many feel isolated, unsupported, and frustrated by the lack of meaningful connections, leading to wasted time and disappointment. Ghosting, bad dates, and incompatibility further highlight the need for a more thoughtful approach.
“Bye hinge, I got tired of only finding a match once in a blue moon and even then it wasn't someone I was absolutely in sync with, just someone who wasn't awful. I don't want to have to lower my standards because I'm questioning if your algorithm even knows me or cares about me. It was fun seeing what's out there but it also didn't make me too excited about the future. bye!”
—Dear Hinge: A Breakup Letter from a Survey Respondent
Third Wheel redefines online dating by putting swiping in the hands of friends and family, “The Crew”.
Singles invite their trusted network to vet potential matches, creating a more supportive and less lonely experience. Crew members review and approve matches before passing them on to the single, who has the final say.
This approach helps reduce stress and anxiety and creates a more socially engaging and supportive on line dating experience.
The Solution
“I am excited to start on a journey on an app that does more than just swiping left or right. I leave behind apps that constantly leads to nothing other than just another match. Having real connections and having others to make it happen sounds like a recipe for success. I’m looking forward to it and ready to get started!”
—Breakup Letter from a Survey Respondent
Research and Design ProcessResearch
We conducted extensive secondary research, including interviews, market research, surveys that included “Break up” Letters with dating apps, and competitor analysis. This research highlighted key pain points in the current dating landscape—superficial interactions, lack of support, and the emotional toll of online dating.
Initiating the Design Process
The popularity of apps like Hinge Tinder and Bumble are frustrating at times for users, but they are also the most popular.
It was crucial for us to challenge the current online dating conventions conceptually while respecting established user interfaces and mental models to make the ThirdWheel experience simple and straightforward.
So we started with sketches and white boarding sessions to help find our direction.
Setting the Course for a Logical Design
We were eager to get into Figma and start designing Third Wheel, but we needed starting point and a clearer idea of the app’s flow and interactions. We pulled ourselves away from the joy of wireframes and created an Information Architecture Diagram and a User Journey Map based off of a Persona. This helped us divide up the work and gave us direction when designing feature and flows we wanted to construct for usability testing.
“Dear current apps, It’s been fun. I’ve met some interesting people, but it’s time to try something new. No more interactions with people who appear fine (but actually have some major issues). Hopefully, this will be my last app and my friends/family will set up some great matches.Looking forward to something new!”
—Breakup Letter from a Survey Respondent
Final Design Intentional Design
Drawing from our research and our clients' goals, we developed design principles that guided the creation of Third Wheel.
Design Challenges
Throughout Third Wheel's development, we faced several challenges. At one point, we were all excited about a feature we thought would be great, but usability testing revealed our blind spots. Staying humble and focused on our goals helped us make the tough decisions and stick to the goals.
Goal: Reduce Stress and Anxiety
The Crew is limited to five new profiles per day. This encourages deeper exploration and reduces the infinite swiping based on appearance.
Goal: Facilitate Match Connections
Our clients wanted Third Wheel to be a fun, stress-reducing experience. We considered adding gamification, but usability testing helped us filter out overly playful ideas, keeping the app fun yet serious.
This game allows matched singles to answer low stake questions. As both answer questions a puzzle piece is removed to reveal a prize to encourage the singles to meet.
Goal: Crew Engagement
The Crew is what sets Third Wheel apart in a crowded market of dating apps. It was vitally important to keep The Crew involved throughout the entire process to make the experience social and supportive and create a space in this market.
Goal: Genuine,Values-based Matches
Third Wheel integrates CupidGPT to help singles get out and meet each other once they are matched. Cupid GPT suggests activities for dates based on location and profile data.
Reflections and Next StepsReflections
Four lessons stand out from this project:
Working on high-functioning teams is an exciting challenge.
Knowing when to lead and when to follow is crucial.
A strong project manager keeps the team focused and motivated.
Don’t get too attached to your ideas—user feedback is what truly matters.
Future of Third Wheel
If Billy and Megan decide to explore partnerships and marketing strategies to expand Third Wheel's reach, I'd love to continue working with them. We've got a solid foundation, but there's a lot of refinement and iteration ahead to create a meaningful experience that stands out in the crowded dating app market. Finding unique ways to monetize Third Wheel without compromising its altruistic value will be a priority to ensure it's profitable. It would be exciting to see this app in the hands of singles and their crew!