Connexa : Turning Shared Interests into real human connections
My role : Lead UX/UI Designer responsible for user research, interface design, and prototyping.
Industry : Lifestyle , social media
Toolkit : Figma, Illustrator and photoshop
Timeline : Q4 2024 - 8 weeks
Project scope : Designing a social connection platform addressing trust, safety, and authentic engagement gaps commonly found in modern connection apps.
Designing for Deeper Connections
Modern connection apps leave users feeling unsafe, disconnected, and overwhelmed. Research showed users want authenticity, not endless swiping.
Dating apps overemphasize appearance-based matching, leading to shallow connections.
Safety concerns due to fake profiles and limited trust-building mechanisms.
Market context: Only 25% of Britons trust social media platforms, with many believing these companies are inadequately regulated and lack transparency. ~BBC News
I asked Users, Former users and people looking to use connection apps :
“I’m tired of feeling like just another profile picture.”
Sara 34 - Former Tinder user
User Research Approach
To deeply understand user frustrations and expectations, I conducted:
8 user interviews (5 previous dating app users, 3 currently active users)
Secondary research (competitor analysis: Bumble, Tinder, Hinge)
Synthesis using affinity mapping to identify key themes
Competitive Analysis
The goal of the competitive analysis was to understand the strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats of the competitors in the market. With this analysis i can see what areas they're performing well and what areas could be improved upon.
Key Insights
Apps like Tinder focus on high-volume swiping, while platforms such as Hinge encourage deeper conversations. This revealed an opportunity to reduce superficial interactions and support more authentic connections.
Although competitors provide support for different demographics, many experiences still cater to specific audiences or limit accessibility through premium features and outdated interaction patterns.
Across all competitors, safety features such as photo verification, profile reporting and blocking were heavily promoted. However, proactive protection against harassment and fake profiles was still limited.
View full matrix
Insights shaping solutions
The competitive analysis revealed that while existing platforms excelled in individual areas such as matching, safety, or inclusivity, none successfully combined all three into a single cohesive experience. These findings shaped Connexa's core strategy by prioritising trust, meaningful interactions, inclusive design, and user control to create a safer and more authentic platform.
User Interviews
Goal :
The interview goal was to understand users pain points , motivations , preferred features , overall experience , their perceptions of safety and needs when using these apps
Criteria :
Previous or Current Use of Connection or Dating Apps , Diversity of Experiences and Usage Patterns ,Concerns about Safety and Trust
Participants :
5 participants age range : 20 - 35
Responses from participants :
I worry about giving away too much personal information.
~ Jon
Trust & Safety
Participants consistently expressed concerns about fake profiles and personal safety, making trust a critical requirement.
I wish I could filter people more effectively.
~ Sara
Dating apps feel too focused on appearance.
~ Ria
View full debrief
Key Research Themes
Meaningful Connections
Users wanted conversations based on shared interests rather than endless swiping
Personalisation
Users valued experiences tailored to their interests and relationship goals.
Insights Shaping Solutions
Insights gathered from user interviews highlighted the importance of trust, privacy, authenticity, and meaningful interactions. These findings guided the development of core features such as identity verification, personalised matching, enhanced privacy settings, and richer profile experiences to better align with user expectations.
Affinity Mapping
From the user interviews conducted , I conducted affinity maps to understand different key pain points and motivations when using social connection apps for each participant. For example some users mentioned that certain connection apps felt superficial and lacked authenticity in interactions.
Common challenges & Frustrations
Noted ghosting, mismatched schedules, and slow follow-through as issues.
Difficulty reaching out to people without feeling like she's bothering them
Felt that dating apps didn’t provide enough help for forming meaningful connections.
View full affinity map
Insights Shaping Solutions
These themes became the foundation of Connexa's design strategy, informing features such as identity verification, richer user profiles, interest-based matching, privacy settings, and inclusive onboarding
Personas
The goal for the personas was to determine the type of users i was designing for and to gain a clearer perspective of the goals motivations and type of experiences of the users i will be designing for.
Jason , 32 - Safety conscious connector
Goal : Alex wants a smooth and seamless experience which prioritize him finding meaningful connections quickly and easily.
Needs : He needs a platform with more reliable privacy settings which allows him to manage who is able to view and contact him
Frustration : Alex is frustrated by platform which are based on superficial interactions and that make it hard for him to find quality connections
Insights & Solutions
Jason was identified as the primary persona because his goals and frustrations closely reflected the needs expressed by the majority of interview participants. His desire for authentic connections, greater trust, and meaningful interactions shaped key design decisions, including identity verification, richer user profiles, interest-based matching, and conversation prompts. Prioritising Jason's needs ensured the platform focused on building genuine relationships rather than encouraging superficial engagement.
User Flows
The Interest Hub was designed as an alternative entry point for building relationships through shared interests. Rather than directing users immediately into profile browsing, the flow encourages exploration of communities, participation in discussions, and natural interaction with people who share similar hobbies and values. This structure promotes authenticity, reduces superficial matching, and creates more opportunities for meaningful connections before users decide to interact privately.
User Testing
User testing validated the core concept while highlighting several opportunities to improve usability, trust, and engagement. Iterating on participant feedback allowed the final experience to become more intuitive, personalised, and aligned with users' expectations. Each design revision was grounded in real user insights, ensuring that product decisions were evidence-based rather than assumption-driven
Designing for Calm & Clarity
Onboarding
Setup profile
Home page (Connections , interests)
Testing, Revisions & Applied Feedback
Early user feedback and testing revealed that while Connexa's core ideas resonated, some screens needed more emotional warmth and clarity to fully deliver a feeling of trust and ease. We refined key parts of the onboarding and exploration journey based on these insights.
Improving the Sign-In Experience
Refined the sign-in experience for clarity and flexibility.
Introduced a tabbed layout for Login/Register, clearer input fields, and additional sign-in options to improve usability and reduce friction.
Redesigned the Interest Hub for better discovery and navigation.
Added intuitive filters (distance, age, occupation) and navigation buttons to help users explore matches more meaningfully and with ease.
Redesigned the Interest Hub for better discovery and navigation. Added segmented tabs, category filters, and dropdown interests to help users explore shared passions more easily and connect meaningfully.
Enhanced the discovery experience with clearer navigation and filters.
Final Solution
What's Next ?
As Connexa continues to evolve, the next key focus is on enhancing personalization and interaction. This includes introducing intelligent recommendations based on shared values and behavior, and expanding low-pressure connection methods like polls, prompts, or group voice chats within Interest Hubs. These features will deepen engagement and make connections feel more natural and authentic. Future efforts will also prioritize building a more structured notification system and preparing for development handoff through a scalable design system.