B2C
Mobile
Design Thinking
Using AR to Help Daters Break the Screen and Meet IRL
To understand the challenges our users are facing, I interviewed 18 participants aged 20–30 who actively use dating apps or seek connections through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Key findings
Shared details (same party, same bar, mutual friend) made “approaching” feel more like continuing something that already exists.
Apps normalize non-action: users feel they’re “doing something” by chatting, while avoiding the real-world
risk of rejection.
People noticed potential IRL moments, but held back because they weren’t sure if the interest was mutual, or if it would be “weird” in that situation.
Location-first apps — Immediacy, but shallow
Great at “who’s nearby right now”, but most interactions stay in chat or end as brief hookups. I kept the sense of immediacy, not the hookup vibe.
Endless feeds keep people browsing and collecting matches instead of meeting. I kept rich discovery, but designed BUNKR to cap passive scrolling and push toward an actual meetup.
I turned an elevator into a small interactive game, using prompts and light tasks that passengers could respond to together. I wanted to see whether a playful digital layer in a tight, shared space could make strangers more comfortable acknowledging each other.
I simulated an in-app notification when two pre-matched participants were close by. The notification revealed a small shared fact (e.g., same favorite artist). This let me test how proximity + mutual interest + context affect people’s willingness to make a move.
Women won’t consider IRL moves unless safety and control are clear
Certainty of mutual interest reduces the fear of rejection more than features do
Safety First
Digital as a bridge, not a destination
Reduce Ambiguity in First Moves
Iteration 1
Always-on UI
Easy to find controls
and prompts
Top-left “X” was ambiguous (exit AR vs. end
the interaction)
Bottom “Pause” read like a primary CTA
Large, fixed cards competed with the
AR canvas
1
Collapsible drawer reduced visual load
Key actions got buried (extra taps to exit when stressed)
Risk of users missing the drawer affordance
Home Screen
Grounding dating in real places
The home screen centers a live map of nearby venues rather than a swipe deck or chat list, so the experience starts with where you can actually go. A persistent “You’re checked in at X” pill makes your current presence impossible to miss and gives you one-tap access to manage it, while still letting you freely explore other options if the vibe isn’t right.
Venue Drawer
Get a feel before you step in
The Venue Drawer previews each place, its vibe, activity, and history—before users decide to navigate or check in. Profiles appear with graphic overlays that protect anonymity while still signaling presence, and stories or past match stats provide social proof. This balance of intrigue and reassurance turns venues into trusted contexts for connection.
Check-In Screen
From browsing to being present
Check-In is the shift from browsing to being part of the space. By checking in, users place themselves within the venue’s social layer—visible only to others who have done the same. This moment creates immediacy and reciprocity: you signal you’re here now, ready to engage, while staying anchored in the shared physical context.
Male users visibility controls
Female users visibility controls
Gender-Based Visibility Controls
Balancing User Needs with Engagement Trade-Offs
Female users have an extra visibility state—allowing them to privately browse profiles, visible only to users they actively "Match" with. The matched profiles see these interactions normally, ensuring no one knows the female user initiated first, preserving privacy.
Research indicated women prioritize safety and discretion, making this essential for their comfort. However, this added privacy could reduce overall engagement if offered universally - therefore, male users retain simpler visibility settings.
Match Flow
The Match Flow is where everything in BUNKR comes together. It answers the core problem I saw in research: people feel safe behind a screen but freeze when it’s time to approach. Instead of one big leap from match to meeting, the flow starts with a small, explicit choice: “Do I want to act on this match now?” so the move begins on the user’s terms.
If they say yes, AR guidance removes ambiguity about where to go, and a small shared fact makes the other person feel less like a stranger. When they meet, that fact becomes a light icebreaker on screen—turning the scariest moment into a guided, playful sequence that still feels like a real, in-person encounter.
Matches Screen
Keeping the follow-up alive
(without getting stuck)
After the in-venue moment, BUNKR still gives matches a place to live—but not forever. Each match keeps its context (where you met, how it started), and the “Expiring soon” area surfaces connections that are about to disappear, nudging people to either follow up or let them go instead of building an endless chat backlog.
This project taught me that the success of a dating experience is defined by its hardest moment: the decision to move from screen to real life. Keeping that moment in focus helped me:
Say no to features that only increase “app time”
Prioritize flows that reduce ambiguity, increase safety, and gently push toward action
Use quick, scrappy field experiments (like the elevator and proximity tests) to uncover emotional barriers interviews alone don’t show
It also reinforced a broader lesson for my practice: instead of fighting existing habits, it’s often more effective to reuse them as a bridge into new, healthier behaviors.
B2C
User research
Complex system
