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Talkable
process
Talkable
Team: Ilya Tsuprun, Eran Mendel
Talkable is a communications app created specifically for online dating. It was created in order to give online daters a safe and private way to get to know each other better, without having to give out phone numbers to strangers or connect on social media.
What I did: As lead product, I conducted user research, created user flows and high fidelity prototypes, lead the design team and oversaw development from the product side. After launching, I created all the media and lead changes in the product based on continuous user interviews and success metrics.
Problem:
Online daters using dating apps meet strangers, that are potential dates, on a daily basis. They give out their phone numbers, or connect on social media, in order to get to know each other better before deciding to go out. In most cases it doesn’t work out and they regret having given out their personal information.
Process
1. Defining a vision
Provide a safe second step after meeting someone online through which people can get to know each other without having to give out phone numbers or personal information.
2. Survey
We conducted extensive interviews with online daters, understanding their pain points and user flows from the moment they match with someone on a dating app, up until actually going out on a date.
3. User personas
We were able to create a hierarchy of the types of potential users we would have, from most relevant to least. This helped us hone in on the specific user base we would be targeting and their needs.
4. Learning the market
Since our users would be continuing conversations on Talkable, that they started in other dating apps, we needed to understand which apps they were using and which features they lacked.
5. Defining the app - Interactive Mockup
By creating interactive prototypes, we were able to run multiple usability testing rounds with online daters and improve the flow before moving into the design phase.
6. Design
One of the main points we understood through our user research, was that online daters often ask to continue conversations on mainstream messengers, in order to be able to text with their potential dates at work and in public, without having to open a dating app. This feedback led us to move away from our initial heavily branded design choice and create a simple, clean look and feel in line with other mainstream messenger apps.
Our funnel starts outside our app, where a Talkable user asks someone they just met on a dating site to download Talkable and connect. This unique flow meant that every new connection on the app, would have a brand new user. We quickly understood that the app had to be very simple and intuitive for first time users.
7. Success metrics
After our initial launch, we were able to learn and improve the product and marketing based on metrics from Mixpanel, Appsflyer and continuous user interviews. For instance, the first versions of the app showed Facebook photos between users as a default feature once they connected. We soon understood that people wanted to choose whether to share Facebook photos or not. We then created a buffer which made this optional.
8. Media creation
Initially promoted through static ads, we were obtaining large amounts of downloads with a small amount of active users. Using personal interviews, we understood that users mistakenly thought Talkable was a dating app. They were downloading the app and then understanding it was something else. To solve this problem, we created a promotional video explaining exactly what the app does. This video created a substantial amount of traffic and usage.
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