This project was developed through Columbia Engineering's UX/UI Program, where our team identified and addressed a significant gap in the dating app market. Working under real-world constraints and deadlines, we followed a comprehensive product development cycle from research to high-fidelity prototyping.

Timeline:

3-week design sprint

Team Structure:

- Led a cross-functional team of 5 designers

- Managed research, design, and testing phases

- Coordinated with stakeholders and mentors

Key Deliverables:

- Comprehensive user research

- Complete design system

- High-fidelity interactive prototype

- User testing documentation

Sports enthusiasts often struggle to find romantic partners who share their passion for sports, leading to potential relationship conflicts and misunderstandings. Traditional dating apps don't adequately address this specific need, making it challenging for sports fans to find meaningful connections based on shared interests.

We created TeamMate, a dating app that matches users based on their sports interests, favorite teams, and game-watching habits. The app provides a platform where sports enthusiasts can connect with potential partners who share their passion, making it easier to build meaningful relationships founded on common interests.

We developed a comprehensive research plan to understand both the dating app landscape and the specific needs of sports enthusiasts in relationships.

Research Objectives:

1. Assess the market need for a sports-focused dating platform
2. Understand how sports fandom affects dating preferences and relationship dynamics
3. Identify key user behaviors and motivations on existing dating apps
4. Evaluate the impact of shared interests in successful relationships

We analyzed leading dating apps to understand their strengths, unique value propositions, and potential gaps in serving sports enthusiasts. This analysis focused on both direct competitors in the dating space and how they approach interest-based matching.

Company	Target Audience	Key Features	Strengths	Weaknesses
Bumble	Women-focused 25-35 age range Relationship-oriented	Women message first Multi-mode dating (BFF, Bizz) Advanced filters Video chat	Strong brand recognition 60M+ active users Safety-focused design Higher-end brand image	Feature overload High subscription cost Limited interest-based matching
Tinder	Gen Z & Millennials 18-25 primary Casual dating focus	Swipe matching Location-based Passport feature Super Likes	75M+ active users Industry-standard UX Strong brand awareness Global presence	Limited filtering Basic profiles Casual reputation
Hinge	Young professionals 25-35 age range Relationship-focused	Conversation prompts Voice messages Most Compatible feature Video prompts	Quality-focused matching Deep profile options Engagement-driven design Growing user base	Slower matching process Limited reach Higher barrier to entry

Key Market Insights

1. Market Gap: Despite the maturity of the dating app market, there remains a significant opportunity in interest-based matching, particularly for sports enthusiasts who prioritize shared game schedules and team affiliations.
2. Competitive Landscape: While existing apps offer basic interest tagging, none provide deep integration of sports preferences or lifestyle matching. This creates an opportunity to combine efficient matching mechanics with specialized sports-focused features.
3. Differentiation Strategy: TeamMate can establish its niche by focusing on three key areas:
   • Sports-specific matching algorithms
   • Game schedule compatibility
   • Sports venue date planning

This analysis revealed that while the dating app market is crowded, there's a clear opportunity to create a focused platform that deeply integrates sports interests into the matching process, rather than treating them as surface-level preferences.

We conducted 5 in-depth interviews with sports enthusiasts to understand their experiences with dating apps and relationships. Our research revealed several key insights:

Dating App Preferences:

• Users prioritize physical attraction and personality in dating apps
• Many expressed frustration with the lack of depth in traditional dating apps
• Safety and authenticity were major concerns

Sports and Relationships:

• Shared interest in sports often strengthens relationship bonds
• Differing levels of sports enthusiasm can create scheduling conflicts
• Users want partners who understand their commitment to sports

Based on our user research, we identified several key features that would address user needs:

• Integrated game ticket purchasing for planning dates
• Intuitive swiping interface familiar to dating app users
• Sport-specific dating pools for better matches
• Streamlined onboarding focused on sports preferences
• Team-based matching algorithm
• Game watching schedule compatibility

We prioritized features based on user value and technical feasibility:

• Integrated game ticket purchasing for planning dates
• Intuitive swiping interface familiar to dating app users
• Sport-specific dating pools for better matches
• Streamlined onboarding focused on sports preferences
• Team-based matching algorithm
• Game watching schedule compatibility

We designed a comprehensive user flow that emphasized a smooth onboarding experience and intuitive navigation through the app's core features.

We began with low-fidelity wireframes to establish the core functionality and test the main user flows. This allowed us to quickly iterate on the app's structure before investing in detailed designs.

We created a style guide to ensure consistency across the app. This included color palettes, typography, and design elements.

While developing the high-fidelity prototype, we encountered several technical challenges, particularly with implementing the core swiping functionality:

Swiping Mechanism Challenges:

• Implementing natural-feeling swipe physics that matched user expectations from apps like Tinder
• Handling edge cases such as incomplete swipes and determining swipe thresholds
• Ensuring smooth animations while maintaining performance
• Creating responsive behavior across different screen sizes

Solutions Implemented:

• Utilized Figma's Smart Animate feature to create fluid transitions between states

These technical challenges led to valuable insights about interaction design and the importance of balancing user expectations with technical feasibility. The solutions we developed not only improved the prototype's functionality but also enhanced the overall user experience.

We conducted usability testing with 5 participants to evaluate the app's core functionality and user experience.

Test Objectives:

1. Evaluate the clarity and efficiency of the onboarding process
2. Assess the usability of the matching and messaging features
3. Test the game ticket purchasing workflow
4. Gather feedback on the overall user experience

Key Usability Challenges:

• Heart and X button colors needed better contrast
• Button functions required clearer visual indicators
• Photo upload requirement created friction
• Checkbox design needed refinement
• "I agree" screen required visual enhancement
• Profile customization options were limited

Positive Feedback:

• Users appreciated the sports-focused matching
• Game ticket integration was well-received
• Profile setup process felt intuitive

Based on our testing insights, we refined the interface design and improved visual hierarchy throughout the app. Additionally, we began to apply the style guide to the mockup.

Project Insights

• [Insight about sports-focused dating market opportunity and user needs]
• [Insight about the importance of specialized features vs. general dating app features]
• [Insight about user behavior patterns or preferences discovered]

Key Learnings

• Prioritizing core functionality and familiar dating app conventions while integrating sports-specific features created an intuitive yet specialized experience
• Complex prototyping challenges with Figma's advanced features enhanced our technical capabilities and design process
• Earlier implementation of quantitative research and comprehensive documentation would have strengthened our design decisions

Future Development

• Community Features: Expanding beyond dating to facilitate fan communities and local event discovery
• Enhanced Experience: Implementing team-based UI themes and integrated live-streaming for shared game viewing