A compatibility-first dating app, built to replace endless swiping with fewer, better matches
Wink is a dating platform built around compatibility over quantity. Instead of a bottomless stack of strangers, its matching algorithm scores compatibility from a user's answers to hundreds of questions about interests and core values, then surfaces a smaller pool of genuinely fitting matches.
The goal wasn't just a prettier swipe screen, it was a more personalized and inclusive experience for people who'd grown tired of superficial matching, ghosting, and apps that didn't reflect who they actually are.
Constraints: a solo project with no dedicated engineering team every research, design, and testing decision had to hold up on its own before any handoff.
My role: research, personas, wireframes, visual design, and both rounds of usability testing.
Three people, three very different reasons to be tired of dating apps. Before any screens got designed, personas were built around the pain points that kept coming up: matches that go nowhere, time wasted on the wrong fits, and apps that weren't built with everyone in mind.
Research methods:
Ava is a 28-year-old UX Designer based in Chicago who brings the same thoughtfulness to dating that she does to her work. She's past mindless swiping and now wants someone who actually reads her profile, shares her values, and is open to seeing where things go.
Marcus is a 35-year-old Marketing Manager from New York City who knows exactly what he's looking for and has little patience for anything less. He's the type to set dealbreakers before he even starts browsing, because his time is valuable and so is his energy.
Jordan is a 24-year-old graduate student in Austin, Texas, who has spent enough time on dating apps that weren't built for them. Non binary and out, Jordan isn't just looking for a match but an inclusive space where they don't have to explain themselves.
Playful enough to flirt with, calm enough to trust
Pink, white, and purple carry the warmth and playfulness of the brand, while a soft, rounded UI keeps the experience feeling cute rather than gimmicky.
Before wireframing, I mapped the full app architecture from onboarding through discovery, connection, and account support.
Each Page type was planned out to better understand the workflow.
Each participant stepped into a short scenario, then attempted the task cold.
Five testers walked through hand-drawn screens on index cards before a single pixel was designed — cheap enough to throw away, real enough to expose problems early.
| Task | Avg. time |
|---|---|
| 1. Create account | 2:37 |
| 2. Block & report | 3:03 |
| 3. Browse & match | 1:37 |
| Total per tester | 7:27 |
What informal testing found
The same three tasks, now run against an interactive Figma prototype held in-hand by five new testers recruited from within the app's target age range.
| Task | Avg. time |
|---|---|
| 1. Create account | 1:15 |
| 2. Block & report | 0:44 |
| 3. Browse & match | 0:49 |
| Total per tester | 2:44 |
What formal testing found
Every formal-testing finding turned into a specific design change — nothing got fixed without a tester pointing at exactly why it was confusing
The gap between the two testing rounds ended up being the most useful data point in the whole project. It wasn't just that the hi-fi prototype looked more finished testers moved through it in a third of the time it took to get through the same tasks on paper, and rated it 9+ out of 10 on both experience and intuitiveness.
Some of that gap was fidelity: color, real photography, and a tactile phone screen are simply easier to navigate than pencil on an index card. But a real part of it was the design itself catching up to what round-one testers were struggling with especially the block-and-report flow, which went from the slowest, most confusing task to one of the fastest.
The lesson I'm carrying forward: test the safety-critical flows first. Reporting and blocking aren't a feature users browse casually they're the flow someone reaches for at their most uncomfortable moment, and that's exactly where clarity matters most.