Case Study:Date Planning Mobile App Design
Maxine A
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Posted Oct 28, 2025
Designed a mobile app for easy and creative date planning.
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THE PROBLEM
Many people struggle with finding date ideas that are fun, creative, and engaging.
This often leads to:
Monotonous experiences (repeating the same activities).
Decision fatigue (difficulty choosing food, activities, or venues).
Frustration in planning due to scheduling, cost, and a lack of awareness of options nearby.
THE SOLUTION
A Smarter, More Playful Way to Plan Dates
I designed a mobile app that helps couples, friends, and individuals easily discover and agree on date ideas through a swipe-based interface, personalized recommendations, and linked accounts—making planning less stressful, more collaborative, and fun.
Process
RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
SURVEY
80% said coordinating schedules was one of their biggest challenges.
Key Findings
80% said coordinating schedules was one of their biggest challenges.
Other pain points:
Limited budget.
Not knowing what’s available nearby.
Sources for date ideas:
Social media (primary).
Friends and family recommendations.
Top decision factors:
Cost & Affordability.
Time & Effort required.
Insights
People want quick, affordable ideas without the need for endless searching.
A tool that balances budget, availability, and spontaneity would reduce planning stress.
SYNTHESIS
AFFINITY MAP
Decision-making support is crucial to reduce endless back-and-forth.
Other insights:
Affordability and convenience must be prioritized.
Recommendations need to be personalized (not one-size-fits-all).
USER FLOW
PERSONA
To ensure the solution addressed real-world needs, I created two personas and outlined system requirements around their behaviours and pain points.
With both personas in mind, here are key design considerations I wanted to incorporate
Key Design Decisions
Swipe Interface: Low-effort, gamified decision-making for individuals, couples, or groups.
Linked Accounts: Couples and friends can connect, making it easy to plan together.
Smart Recommendations: Suggestions filtered by budget, location, and time available.
Scheduling & Notifications: Keeps everyone in sync without extra messaging.
“Surprise Me” Mode: Adds playfulness and discovery for adventurous users.
IDEATION
BRAINSTORMING
The long-term goal is to increase and maintain connections
Based on survey insights and affinity mapping, I brainstormed possible features that could address users’ frustrations with planning. I focused on solutions that reduce decision fatigue, facilitate coordination, and maintain a sense of fun and spontaneity.
SKETCHES
Exploring concepts through sketching
After brainstorming features, I translated the strongest ideas into rough sketches to visualize how they might function in the app.
SOLUTION
FINAL SCREENS
