Dovey — A Date Night Finder App

Project Overview

Dovey is a social app designed to help couples discover fresh date night ideas by linking them with local activities, restaurants, and events in their area. The goal was to make planning time together effortless, fun, and tailored to users’ interests—transforming the question *“What should we do tonight?”* into an opportunity for connection and discovery.

The Challenge

After being cooped up during the pandemic, many couples want to reconnect, explore, and feel spontaneous again—but they often fall back into the same “go-to” spots because discovering new places is overwhelming. How can we make finding a great date as simple and inspiring as scrolling a playlist?

Research & Insights

Personas: I created two personas—one younger couple fresh in a new city, and a more established couple looking to renew their date night routine.
User Interviews: I spoke with users in their late 20s to understand how they currently find date ideas. Instagram pages and word-of-mouth came up repeatedly. Frustrations included repetitive ideas, limited filters, and uncertainty about safety or novelty.
SWOT Analysis: Examined existing date-recommendation apps, both general lifestyle apps and more specialized regional ones. Found strengths in curated content, but common weaknesses around personalization, discoverability, and visual delight.

Design Decision & Process

Mood & Style: I started with warm, romantic themes—playing with color palette, type, and overall “vibe.” Initial neon-heavy sketches were visually exciting but distracted from usability. I refined toward a softer, cleaner aesthetic.
Wireflows & Mockups: Early sketches shaped the key user flows: onboarding, browsing, selecting, saving ideas. Using those, I built mid-fidelity mockups in Figma, iterated the UI based on feedback.
Screens & Visuals: Onboarding screens set the welcoming tone; home/browse screens prioritize simplicity and inspiration; detail views provide just enough info (cost, location, safety) so couples feel confident choosing.

Measurable Success & Next Steps

Success Metrics: I’ll consider this project successful when users provide suggestions for new activities, report less friction in discovering date ideas, and express a feeling of excitement rather than “just re-doing the same things.”
Next Phases:
- Create desktop versions of key flows to support planning together.
- Usability testing with a diverse group to validate assumptions around style, filters, and workflow.
- Expand filtering (by cost, distance, vibe) and personalization (based on past date choices).

Why This Matters

Encourages users to explore more and break out of comfort zones.
Builds confidence for couples that “something special” is accessible, even without extensive planning.
Offers a cleaner, more delight-driven alternative to generic date-suggestion tools.

Screens & Flow Previews

Below you’ll find selected screens showing persona development, onboarding, main browsing experience, date-detail views, research and desktop mockups. These visuals illustrate the flow I designed to guide couples from inspiration to action.

Feedback is helpful right? I used these helpful suggestions to shape my thinking while creating the V2 model

Follow the user’s flow for both returning and new users.

The initial sketches for Dovey played a key role in defining the app’s structure and character.

I crafted a mood board filled with visuals of couples enjoying moments together, helping me focus the design around connection and shared experiences.

I kept the color palette intentionally simple, infusing it with warmth and aesthetic charm

With the sketches complete, I moved into Figma to develop the initial mockups and refine the visual layout for Dovey.

In the first iterations of Dovey, I experimented with a bold color scheme and a glowing neon heart design I was particularly excited about. I tried placing it everywhere—but quickly realized the result was too overwhelming and detracted from the app’s intent and user experience."

These are the first screens users see after signing up. I went with a new color palette—a soft, dark pink—to reflect that 'couple love' vibe. Since it was close to Valentine’s Day, it felt like the perfect fit for a cozy, welcoming design that’s easy on the eyes.