For this design exercise, I followed the Double Diamond Process.

Discover Phase

User’s reluctance to share photos- Research

To understand what caused the problem (prompt), I did some secondary research. Before diving into ideation, I wanted to get more context around the issue and get to the root cause(s) of why users hesitate to add photos to their public profiles. Articles on the web and communities like Reddit gave me a good idea.

Guerrilla User Research

To understand how the system works, I had a quick phone interview with my cousin and 2 other people, who found their partner on a matrimonial app last year. 

They shared insights about her experience, the challenges they faced on the app, and how they ultimately found their match.

Discover Phase

Collecting & Analyzing from Research

From secondary and guerilla research, here are common reasons why users might be reluctant to share photos on matrimonial platforms:

Creating a User Persona

I created a User Persona to enlist all the user needs and pain points. This helped me identify potential ideas and align my future decisions with real needs.

Develop Phase

Taking Inspiration: Hinge’s Message Prompts

In order to improve the views of chats, we must encourage users to take the first step. Locked photos make it harder to turn views into potential matches.

Hinge’s conversation starters and prompts have a huge boost in fostering meaningful connections where users actually get a chance to initiate a conversation and make a good first impression.

Taking Inspiration: Bitmojis by Snapchat

If users prioritize privacy and are hesitant to share their pictures, they can choose Avatars as an alternative—a digital representation of themselves.

Snapchat introduced this feature through a partnership with Bitmoji. Users can create their avatar or have one automatically generated using their image. Avatars can be used instead of a profile picture and/or as stickers during conversations.

‍Taking Inspiration: Bumble Speed Dating

If users prefer not to share photos, we should focus on their personal and career profiles. Meaningful conversations can leave a strong impression.

Bumble's speed dating feature allows users to chat for 3 minutes to see if they connect before viewing profiles. However, a matrimonial app requires more time for decision-making when finding a life partner.

Constraints & Trade-Offs

Constraints:

• No profile photos.

• Ensure a trusted and privacy-oriented experience.

• Increase views to chats by 20%.

Trade-Offs:

• No Profile Photos: some text

  • Pros: Enhances privacy, and reduces judgment based on appearance.

  • Cons: This may reduce initial trust and familiarity.

• Verification Requirement: some text

  • Pros: Increases trust and security.

  • Cons: Adds an extra step, which might deter some users.

Assumptions

Here is a list of assumptions provided in the prompt + I made before building the User Journey Map:

• Users will value privacy and security over the need to display profile photos.

• Users will engage more if they feel their privacy is protected.

• This is for the shaadi.com app, so the profile photo indicates all the photos on a person’s profile are locked and blurred.

• Users are comfortable sharing photos privately if they feel secure.

• People have better access to a mobile than a computer. More users are active on the mobile app rather than the website.

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User Journey Mapping

I created a user journey map to visualize the steps users take from viewing a profile to engaging in conversation and sharing photos, helping to identify key touch-points and improve user engagement.

Initial Sketches 

Once I was clear with the user journey map, I quickly sketched out some screens that helped me visualize the position of each section and frame the structure of the user interface.

Usability Testing- Think Aloud

I created a mid-fidelity prototype of the flow from viewing the profile to exchanging photos or contact details. I used my low-fidelity and mid-fidelity prototypes to check if my design idea and flow made sense. 

For this, I conducted a think-aloud session with two users.

Feedback & Changes

Problem: “I'm not sure how to use the avatar feature instead of uploading a profile photo. It’s a bit confusing.”

Solution: Add a clear and concise explanation on the action menu, stating the advantages

Problem: "I’m worried if my private photos are really secure. How do I share them with someone I match with?"

Solution: Enhance the security message on the photo upload page, clearly stating that photos are securely stored and can only be shared privately at the user's discretion.