PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Beeline feature was designed for Bumble to address the challenge of planning dates within the app. Users often face difficulties in coordinating date locations, activities, and times, which leads to frustration and lost opportunities for meaningful connections. Beeline streamlines the process, allowing users to select date ideas based on location, budget, and activity preferences, while coordinating with their match. The feature aims to enhance the dating experience by reducing decision fatigue and fostering seamless communication between users.
Project Summary
Role and Duration
As the UX/UI Designer, I was responsible for researching, conceptualizing, wireframing, prototyping, and testing the Beeline feature. I thoroughly analysed the Bumble app and worked for over a 8 week period to ensure the feature aligned with the Bumble brand and user experience standards.
BEELINE
Date planning tool integrated within the Bumble app
Making a direct line to the best date ideas, just as bees make a "beeline" to their destination
THE PROBLEM
Many Bumble users struggled to plan dates efficiently. Once they matched with someone, they found it difficult to choose locations, activities, and times that fit both their schedules and preferences. This led to repetitive, uninspired date ideas and often delayed communication about meeting up.
User Problems
Business Problems
From a business perspective, Bumble wanted to increase user engagement and retention by making it easier for users to move from digital interaction to real-life meetups. The lack of an integrated date-planning feature meant users might abandon the app or turn to competing platforms that offer more streamlined planning capabilities.
GOALS
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Make date planning within Bumble easier and more intuitive.
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Help users find diverse date ideas based on their location, budget, and preferences.
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Reduce the back-and-forth communication when coordinating a date.
User Goals
Business/Product Goals
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Increase user engagement by making Bumble the go-to platform not just for matching but for facilitating in-person meetings.
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Reduce churn by keeping users active and satisfied as they progress from match to meeting.
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Offer premium features for date planning to encourage more users to subscribe to Bumble Boost or Premium.
The icon symbolising the user as a bee, trying to connect with or attract their match, depicted as a flower.
DESIGN PROCESS
The design process began with user research and competitive analysis, focusing on the pain points of date planning within dating apps. I explored various concepts for the feature, starting with simple event suggestions and evolving into a full date-planning tool.
Initial design explorations included wireframes for an in-app date suggestion feature that offered users options based on their location and preferences. Through user interviews and prototype testing, I gathered valuable feedback that guided iterations. For example, users preferred a streamlined experience with easy-to-navigate options for selecting date ideas, times, and locations.
The final design included a bottom navigation bar integration to give easy access to Beeline. I used Bumble’s brand elements, like the signature color palette and typeface, to ensure the feature felt native to the app. The Beeline logo, represented by a bee and a flower, symbolized the user (bee) moving toward a connection (flower).
Testing with two users provided insights into how real users interacted with the feature. One user completed the date-planning process in under 3 minutes, while the second user took 5 minutes, needing initial guidance but finishing without further questions. Both users found the feature helpful and simple to use, with suggestions for adding more date ideas in future iterations.
"Beeline" feature that provides busy professionals with quick and personalised date suggestions
RESULTS
The Beeline feature is expected to have a significant impact on user engagement and satisfaction. Hypothetical success metrics include:
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A 15% increase in real-life meetups planned via the app within the first 6 months.
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A 20% increase in daily active users engaging with the Beeline feature.
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Improved retention rates, with a 10% reduction in churn due to increased real-world interactions.
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A boost in premium subscriptions due to additional planning perks offered within the Beeline feature.