Coming soon...

TL;DR

About

Ciao, is an event based dating app that aims to bring romance back to dating.

In 2019 online dating is predicted to have 627 million users with a spend of £225 million in the UK & $2 Billion in the US.

I was approached by a Venture Capitalist to be the lead product designer and bring their vision to life in a 12 week timescale.

I lead the UX and UI Design throughout the process while in constant communication with stakeholders and developers based in Germ

The Challenge

KISS – Keep it simple, stupid

In the current market it was essential to be seen through the crowded landscape of poorly performing dating apps and shrug off a perception of a promiscuous scene.

Ciao must be light-hearted, yet serious. Simplicity and familiarity were essential to earn customers trust and confidence.

The Solution

Evaluative UX research and real world prototypes perfected an effective launch solution.

I created and revised many interactive wireframes which I shared amongst the team to gather internal feedback. Repetitive candidate AB testing took place across a mixed demographic, measuring usability and understanding. The results helped me fine tune my designs to a final solution.

The application uses a simple, uber intuitive UI making awkward first contact into an enjoyable experience. I kept the look & feel modern and clean with generous use of negative space.

The Result

5 Star review on the App store

The application has had 16,294 downloads* in the UK and over 15,000 profile interactions. Partnerships with Uber, City Mapper and high street restaurants integrated within the App were rolled out in later phases.

Depending on funding, future expansion of Ciao is planned for the US and Chinese markets with the introduction of facial recognition and AI chatbots.

*Dec 2016

The product market fit was difficult to break into because of the extreme competition from Tinder and Bumble, so as a pivot, the mechanics behind Ciao was later transformed into a clothes reselling application.