Reimagining Online Dating at Match

Context & Problem

Match pioneered online dating, but over time, younger competitors like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge reshaped the market with faster, more intent-specific experiences.

By contrast, Match’s user base is broad and diverse — ranging from 30-something professionals to retirees in their 70s. While this breadth is a strength, it also created challenges:

• Profiles often felt incomplete or outdated.

• Pricing felt high relative to perceived value.

• Features were fragmented across surfaces, making the app feel dated.

Our team was tasked with answering a critical question:
What could Match uniquely offer that differentiates it from competitors and resonates across its diverse audience?

My Role & Approach

I led design within a cross-functional team focused on rethinking Match’s profile and user experience. My role was to synthesize research into actionable insights, create a design vision for simplification, and introduce new features to differentiate Match in a crowded market.

Approach:

• User Reviews Audit → Identified recurring pain points: incomplete profiles, feature fragmentation, pricing concerns.

• User Recordings → Observed confusion about “what to do next” and lack of clarity around why profiles were shown.

• Interviews (15 long-term users) → Highlighted frustration with value vs. price and underwhelming matches.

• Focus Groups (NYC, Phoenix, Chicago) → Explored broader perceptions of online dating and competitor app strengths.

• Synthesis → Translated findings into key opportunity areas: improve profile quality, declutter navigation, integrate features, and explore a concierge-style differentiator.

Design Principles

• Clarity over clutter → Profiles should emphasize key information, not overwhelm with design noise.

• Guidance over guessing → Users want to understand why they see a match and how to improve their own profile.

• Holistic over fragmented → Integrate features (Instagram, Spotify, Events) for safety, authenticity, and richer connections.

• Differentiation through service → Create value beyond swiping with a human-assisted Concierge feature.

Explorations & Solutions

1. Profile Redesign

• Navigation → Switched from icons to text labels in the tab bar, reducing visual noise and clarifying actions.

• Dynamic Content Management → Shifted profile content to avoid being covered by action bubbles.

• Organized Information → Consolidated media into scrollable photo and topic sections; horizontal scrolling for attributes (sometimes 30+).

• Integrated Features → Added Instagram and Spotify for authenticity; surfaced Match Events as a social discovery tool.

📌 Impact: Profiles became easier to scan, more trustworthy, and less repetitive.

2. Concierge Experience

A new, premium differentiator designed to elevate Match above swipe-driven competitors.

• Integrated in Inbox → Coaches appear like regular conversations, reducing friction.

• Decision Tree Guidance → Users receive structured reply options, improving speed and scalability.

• Scheduling & Follow-Up → Users select coaches, schedule sessions, and receive personalized recaps with curated MatchTalks content.

• One-Stop Hub → Stores conversations, curated advice, and recommended Events tailored to user and match interests.

📌 Impact: Transforms Match into a hybrid platform: part dating app, part personal match-making service.

Outcomes & Impact

Release strategy: Rolled out profile redesign and Concierge to select markets for controlled feedback.

Early results:

• Positive user sentiment, especially around Concierge.

• Cleaner profile design led to more complete, higher-quality profiles.

• Business metrics met or exceeded targets for engagement and premium adoption.

Future direction:

• Integrate Concierge into onboarding.

• Continue iterative testing to optimize profile design and service experience.