Slow design: dating app

Summary:

Slow design is an approach to design that emphasises a more thoughtful, mindful, and sustainable way of creating products, services, and experiences. It is a response to the fast-paced, consumption-driven culture that dominates modern society.

In my speculative design, I explore what would happen if dating apps would be built on a slow design approach.

Back

In today's world, we interact with strangers every day, whether it's a food delivery person or someone we meet online. Despite being more connected than ever, we often fail to engage in meaningful conversations and truly listen to one another. Slowly, an app developed by a Hong Kong-based startup, challenges this by enabling users to connect with people from all over the world through letters that take time to arrive. As a user of the app, I have experienced how conversations through Slowly can lead to a more personal level of connection than instant messaging with even our closest friends and relatives.

This made me question how we build connections today. While dating apps and websites provide a larger pool of potential partners, they often rely on quick swipes and superficial profile photos. Slow technology, which prioritizes experience over efficiency, provides a unique solution to this issue. Inspired by this approach, I came up with the concept of a slow messaging app specifically designed for dating. The app would require users to self-reflect and engage in meaningful conversation through online letters, promoting relationships with stronger foundations.

As technology continues to shape how we connect with others, it is our responsibility to take time to disconnect and reflect on how it impacts our lives. Slow technology should be a consideration when designing applications and websites, especially those intended for mental health and human connections. By prioritising experience over efficiency, we can create platforms that foster deeper connections and enrich our lives in meaningful ways.

Speed is of the essence in our modern age of fast-swipe online dating. My initial idea of a prototype is an online dating app that helps people to deepen into meaningful conversations. The slow approach to dating is undoubtedly novel in a world where quick swipes are mainly based on profile photos, as messages promote relationships with weak bases. With the help of slow technology, I came up with the concept of a slow messaging app. With all the ways of communicating digitally, people lost touch with deep, meaningful conversation.

The prototype