Third Wheel

Design Conceptualization & Prototyping

Helping Friends Help You Find Love

MY ROLE

UX Researcher & Designer

METHODS

Secondary Research | Competitive/Comparator Analysis | User Surveys | Love Letter/Break-Up Letter | Affinity Diagramming | User Journey Mapping | Mid-Fidelity Prototyping | Usability Testing | Information Architecture Diagramming | High-Fidelity Interactive Prototyping | Design System

Executive Summary

Deliverables:

Interactive Prototype
Annotated Wireframes

Unlike traditional dating apps that often focus on superficial connections, Third Wheel is a dating app designed to bring trusted friends into the matchmaking process. Rather than navigating endless swipes alone, users invite friends to vet potential matches and offer thoughtful recommendations — creating a more intentional, supportive dating experience. Through extensive user research, prototyping, and usability testing, our team designed an app that blends collaboration, trust, and long-term connection building.

The Problem

Dating apps today often leave users overwhelmed by endless choices, uncertain intentions, and surface-level interactions. Despite wanting help, users are left to navigate the emotional labor of swiping alone.

Key Challenges

  • Choice Overload: Users face decision fatigue from constant swiping without meaningful results.

  • Lack of Trusted Input: Many users naturally seek advice from friends but lack an easy, integrated way to involve them in the matchmaking process.

  • Missed Opportunities for Meaningful Matches: Without outside perspective, users may overlook good matches that align with their long-term goals.

How might we design a dating experience that brings trusted friends into the process — helping users feel more supported, confident, and connected?

The Process

User Research

We conducted interviews with 10 users aged 24–35 who were active on dating platforms but expressed frustration with the current experience.

Key Insights

  • Trust in Friends: Many users already informally consult friends before messaging matches.

  • Choice Overload: Endless swiping leads to decision paralysis.

  • Desire for Intentionality: Users seeking serious relationships want curated, vetted matches, not casual encounters.

Pivot Moment

Initially, I assumed users would resist sharing control over their dating profiles. Instead, 70% said they welcomed friend input — especially if framed around collaboration, not control.

Defining User Personas

Two personas emerged:

  • Thoughtful Tessa: Seeks deep, lasting relationships but overwhelmed by choices. Trusts her close friends’ judgement.

  • Supportive Sam: Loves playing matchmaker and knows his friend’s preferences better than an app algorithm ever could.

Personas grounded the decision to focus on friend-assisted matchmaking, not friend-takeover.

Ideation & Wireframing

Through a series of design sprints, we prioritized:

  • Seamless friend onboarding (invite friends easily, set boundaries)

  • Dual profile views (friends view potential matches through a slightly different lens)

  • Voting and commenting features (friends can leave notes or endorsements)

Low-fidelity sketches were converted into mid-fidelity interactive wireframes in Figma, focusing on clarity, privacy, and ease of collaboration.

Usability & Concept Testing

We conducted two rounds of concept & usability testing with 10 participants.

  • 90% understood and liked the friend-voting feature.

  • Users loved curated “Top Picks” instead of endless swiping.

  • Some users were confused about whether friends could initiate chats.

Design Decision: We updated the user interface to clarify that only users could start conversations, maintaining personal agency.

Final Design Highlights

  • Friend Curated Matches: Friends swipe and recommend matches discreetly.

  • Top Picks Feed: Users receive a shortlist of matches endorsed by their trusted circle.

  • Commenting System: Friends can leave playful or serious notes about why they recommend a match.

  • Clear Agency: Users maintain final control over who they connect with.

Outcomes

Reflections

  • 90% of participants said the friend-voting experience felt "fun and reassuring."

  • 85% believed this approach would lead to more intentional, serious matches.

  • Decision-making time to match decreased by 50% compared to standard dating apps during testing.

Designing Third Wheel taught me that users are more open to collaborative dating experiences than I initially assumed — as long as they retain ultimate control.
Prioritizing transparency, privacy, and emotional safety was critical to making the app feel empowering rather than invasive.

Next Steps

If expanded into a deployed app, I would:

  • Add advanced privacy controls (e.g., ability to approve/disapprove friends’ voting visibility)

  • Add customizable friend permissions (e.g., which friends can vote, comment, or suggest matches)

  • Broaden demographic research to include older users and LGBTQIA+ communities to ensure inclusivity