Shink

Enhancing the UX of an AI based dating app

Shink

Shink is an AI based dating app that was made to boost kindness and safety in the dating app community. This app was created to help grow a community which is transparent, honest, trustworthy and ultimately safe for it’s users.

Position

UX, Brand and Strategy Designer

Role

Improving user experience, conveying brand values

To support these principles, Shink embraced a core philosophy: revealing the true character of a person beyond first impressions.

Since kindness isn't just subjective, the app introduced a system where users can flag others with green or red flags—green for positive traits and red for concerning behaviors.

Desk Research

To better understand the concept of dating apps and also look into the problems in existing dating apps, I conducted an initial Desk Research with Competitive analysis to put things into perspective.

User Research and Interviews

Conducted usability testing in order to understand gaps in the app.

Contextual Interviews

Observing real users as they swipe, match, and chat to uncover emotional and behavioral patterns.

KPIs →

Sentiment Shift

Trust in System
Emotional Response

Critical User Journey Benchmarking

Measuring success rates at key stages like matching, first message, and transitioning to real-life dates.

KPIs →

Time to Resolve a Flag
Misuse Reports

Heuristic Evaluation

Identifying usability flaws in profile discovery, chat experience, and onboarding based on UX best practices.

KPIs →

Severity of Usability Issues

Transparency Score

Surveys

Collecting user feedback on frustrations, feature preferences, and dating behaviors to inform design improvements.

KPIs →

User Comfort Score: (1–10 scale)
Retention Impact

Users group

30 users aged between 19-25

Reside in metropolitan cities and big towns around the world

Countries : India, USA, Dubai, Thailand, UK

Affinity Mapping and Insights

Key problems identified in the areas of Flagging and Communication

People were concerned about :

Perceived Artificiality in Conversations:
Users expressed that conversations on the app might begin to feel forced or inauthentic due to the underlying fear of being negatively judged based on red flags.
Privacy and Vulnerability:
There is concern that flag-based comments could inadvertently expose sensitive personal information or stories, making users feel vulnerable or overexposed.
One-Dimensional Judgement:
Users feel that being evaluated based on a single mode of interaction (e.g., chat-based communication) is not a holistic representation of their personality. Additionally, the permanence of such judgments on their profile may seem unfair or overly punitive.

UX Scores after initial interviews and app testing

26 of 30 users saw flags as judgmental or invasive.

23 of 30 users were concerned about privacy when flags are used as information shared in private can easily be shown to the public.

12 of 30 users felt that flags might lead to pretentious behavior and not genuine connections.

10 of 30 users felt a lack of control

How to solve the conflicting nature of flags?

Why are flags needed?

Flags are a unique feature and should be used.

Flags will help keep track of the user’s behavior.

Will ultimately be used to promote kindness and safety.

Aligns well with company's perspective.

Why are flags disliked?

Flags feel very judgmental and concerning.

Flags will compromise privacy and force pretentious behavior.

Will ultimately become a fake, pretentious and frustrating experience. Users express distress over this.

The main goal?
How do we make something negative have a positive impact?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Negative thoughts = negative emotions.
Cognitive restructuring—challenge and change irrational thoughts to alter emotional responses.
Case: Aaron Beck's work with depression showed that reframing negative thoughts reduced symptoms.

Amygdala Hijack & Cognitive Reappraisal
The amygdala triggers a fight-or-flight response, overriding rational thinking. Cognitive reappraisal involves changing how we interpret a situation to alter its emotional impact.
Use cognitive reframing or mindfulness - reframe negative feedback as a growth opportunity.
Scarcity Principle and the Bandwagon Effect

Redefining the Shink Brand

Brands are essential, especially in competitive industries, to grow awareness and value for a company. A strong brand is a point of connection for customers. It helps a business quickly communicate the essence of its vision and value.
But branding is also a subjective process. It trades in the currency of opinion, making it subject to trends, fickle followers, and more. So, the stronger a brand's foundation is, the more likely it is to weather the storms of change.

→

Old UI

New UI

Change in UX

Red flag = opportunity to grow  

Use AI to understand the problem and take accountability and improve : Therapist bot 
Red flags are limited - only one can be given per user 
Red flags should have a description of over 50 characters 
Can be withdrawn/challenged over a period of time

Showing number of users with the same flag.

Improving communication experience

How do conversations happen?

What is the difference between in person and on text conversations?

How do we improve the experience of conversations?

Scenario and users :

25 people using the app over 1 month

UX Research methods

Unmonitored Usability Testing

Observed 40 users’ unstructured conversations to capture organic interaction patterns.

Ethnography

Longitudinal, in-context observation to understand how conversations evolve naturally.

Rationale

Identifying usability flaws in profile discovery, chat experience, and onboarding based on UX best practices.

Emotional Dynamics of Conversations

Initial Phase (Excitement): Conversations are driven by dopaminergic reward processing—novelty and anticipation heighten excitement and engagement.
Stagnation: The plateau occurs due to cognitive adaptation (the hedonic treadmill) and attention fatigue as novelty diminishes.
Cognitive Load: As the conversation continues, users may experience cognitive overload (the brain's limited capacity to process redundant or excessive information), leading to disengagement.