"US"
relationships app
reseach, ux design
Why a relationships app?: The theme of many songs and movies, we are well aware that a high number of romantic couples experience conflict and frustration within their relationship. This is causing distress to couples, who are seeking to reach out to external counsellors which can be costly, time consuming, inadequate and temporary. 33% of marriages end up in divorce in Australia.
we have a proplem, dear
The grueling truth about relationships
30%
Divorce rate
30% of first-time marriages end in divorce, and up to 60% of second marriages end in divorce!
40%
Relationship dissatisfaction
40% of people feel dissatisfied in their relationship at some point.
71%
Want long-term relationships
71% of singles are more interested in long-term relationships now than they were before the pandemic.
The challenge
How might we create a product so that couples improve the quality of their relationship through improved communication, with a goal of
- nurturing quality partnerships
- minimizing misunderstandings, frustrations and ultimately separation
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01
Communication Problems
02
Falling out of love
03
it's not a Partnership anymore
04
No physical intimacy
Getting to the root of the problem
It's always important to know the "why" when solving a problem. Sometimes it's hard to know the why and preliminary research is needed, but fortunately this is an already extensively studied topic due to the magnitude of the issue. Past research is already giving us some good clues.
* Based on interviews with Elizabeth Cohen. PhD, Clinical Psychologist, and Erin Levine, Divorce Attorney
If you can’t talk your wish out in a way both partners understand, all that’s left is an unproductive argument and growing resentment.
Just growing apart and losing your romantic feelings
People feel misunderstood and unheard in the marriage. ‘Here I am in a relationship and it feels like I’m all alone’.
A lack of physical affection—sexy times and long bear hugs included—can cause serious disconnect.
01
Communication Problems
02
Falling out of love
03
it's not a partnership anymore
04
no physical intimacy
why do relationships fail?*
User research - questions
Now that we have an idea of why relationships fail, let's dig further to understand couple's deep seated fears, hopes, needs and desires when it comes to their relationship.
The questions below are design to make couple clearly articulate what is truly important to them.
- If a problem arises within the relationship what medium do you use to express it
- How comfortable are you with a third party person to be part of conflict resolution
- How do you communicate most often with your partner (in person, call, text etc)
- Do you talk to your friends about relationship issues
- How do you solve conflicts with your partner
- How do you express your needs
- How do you react if your partner gives you the silent treatment
- Do you tend to talk about deep subjects with your partner (like feelings, aspirations, dreams etc)
- Do you currently use technology to express your emotions
- Why do you resort to using technology when communicating with your partner (what kind of state do you need to be in when you resort to using technology).
- How do you feel when your partner uses technology to interact with you
- What behaviour from a partner makes you feel loved? (Love language)
- How important is it for you to celebrate milestones like birthdays and anniversaries
- What is it you’d like your partner to express the most
- How important is it to you to be in a relationship
- What level of distress do you experience when you break up with someone
- Do you feel that your partner communicates their feelings often enough
- How often do you like to talk about the relationship (do you like to “check in”)
- How long do your conflicts last on average
- How many people do you confide in when having conflicts
- Would you be open to familiarize yourself with tech tools that can help prevent frustrations in the first place
- Are you open to receive honest feedback from your partner
- Do you try to see things from your partner’s perspective
- Who do you turn to when you experience conflict and frustration with your partner
- If applicable, how was your experience with relationship counsellors in the past
-How likely are you to follow an app’s guidelines and prompts to navigate your relationship
The user research and interviews gave me a lot of further insights into people’s struggles behind closed doors, and what makes them tick.
user research - results
Andrea, 47
"I’m very non confrontational so it’s hard to bring up a conflict subject"
Etienne, 32
"I love any evidence of her thinking of me when I’m not there"
Tanya, 40
“We are too busy to check in on our relationship”
Tanya, 40
“Celebrating milestones is important for us and the children”
Simon, 50
“Our conflicts never got resolved; I felt shut down.”
Andrea, 47
“I withdraw if it’s a deep subject”
Kim, 51
“Celebrating milestones is very important”
Simon, 50
“I don’t talk about relationship issues, it’s very private”
Key messages
- Communication preferences
- Conflict resolution
- Involvement of third party
- Tech use:
- General use
- Specifically for relationships
- Importance
- Celebrating the relationship
- Checking in
- Depth of communication
Affinity Map
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- Wants a fulfilling relationship
- Wants to be understood
- Wants to be able to communicate freely and safely
- Wants to be valued
- Feels misunderstood
- Can’t resolve issues
- Insufficient communication
- Needs are not fulfilled
- Guess work with partner
- Argues
- Loses confidence
- Withdraws
- Loses identity
- Starts substance use
- Confides in a friend or therapist
01
Goals & Needs
02
Pain Points
03
Behaviour
Persona
MVP
User Flow
Basing myself on the user journey as determined by my earlier findings and user flow outlined above, I built a first draft of the app's wireframe.
Wireframe - version 1
I tested the app online via Skype. Here's an extract of the recording:
USER Testing
Homescreen too busy - calendar should move
01
Rename labels to be clearer
02
settings and profiles should be separate
03
Add goals chart in "relationship health"
04
Move labels around to make it more intuitive
05
Distinguish between postive and negative communcation templates
06
Key takeaways
Following user testing I took onboard all the valuable feedback and made the necessary changes to make the app clearer, more appealing, and more personalised.
This is the result of the user testing feedback. Of course, with time and more usage testing, it's likely the app will still need some fine tuning.
Wireframe - Version 2
People are more receptive to their partner’s needs and are more likely to alter their behaviour.
The app provides a safe platform on which each partner can use tools to express their views in a non-threatening way.
increased understanding
emotional safety
The app nurtures the good aspects of the relationship to minimise arguments in the first place
Nurtured relationships
result
With regular use, the app helps create better connected, understanding relationships a real relationship coach in your pocket!