UNFILTER: Dating in the digital age
Anna Chau began her journey into online dating when she first arrived in New York City. With the influx of choices of promising people to meet, she was excited to start searching for her perfect match. Soon after, however, she realized the experience was not meeting her expectations. Disappointed by the endless swiping, ghosting, and catfishing, Anna wondered if there was a way to hack the current online dating system and prompted her to begin research on her thesis, Unfilter: Dating in the Digital Age. The lenses that she explored in her thesis are choice, reflection, communication, and confidence to create a more positive dating experience through design.
Blume
In the age of abundance of online dating choices, Blume is a speculative future narrative set in 2050, which imagines a future when the decision making aspect of finding love is taken out of the picture. In this fictional setting, finding a match relies solely on attributes we cannot change, such as our DNA. The Blume Corporation has developed a unique formula in using distinctive pheromones to find the perfect match. When the aspect of choice is taken out of the picture, would finding love be as seamless and less burdening?
As people are increasingly busier and more digitally connected than ever before, they often fail to verbally communicate when it comes to dating. Endless swiping turns these individuals into online dating zombies. Because this generation lacks the skills to verbally communicate face to face, and because marriages and birth rates are declining, the government has stepped in to invest in solutions to this dilemma. Blume Corp. took on this initiative to help bring chemistry back to the dating scene. Their answer was technology to match people based on their DNA.
IDIOM
The motivation behind IDIOM came from the notion that the majority of online dating decisions are driven by aesthetics. It creates a stagnant experience with lost opportunities to match with individuals. Therefore, IDIOM is a solid perfume packaging that allows scents to be pieced together to motivate users to reflect on their choices and how it has significance to their identity. In doing so, it can bring upon better judgment and rationality into their decisions.
Lauren Irish, a relationship coach at Maze of Love, says, “Take time to figure out what’s important to you and where you’re willing to compromise. If you stay true to your values, you’ll find a balance that works for you” (Emery, 2018). The majority of our decision drivers on online dating are driven by sight, it does not lead enough time for reflection among the choices users make. The quick selection process does not allow time for people to reflect on what is actually essential for them and what they are willing to compromise in the relationship. Therefore IDIOM intends to utilize scent. As it is directly linked to our limbic system, IDIOM is to transport time for users to reflect on their scent preference, which has direct accordance with their identities.
Pitch
Communication is a core asset to establishing a firm foundation for relationships but with the digital age bringing more conversation behind screens. People often lack the skills to communicate face to face. Pitch is an app that encourages users to practice their elevator pitches and receive real-time feedback from AI to support them on clarity, tone, and expression. Ultimately, Pitch helps them to be more confident communicators in a job interview, presentation, or on a first date.
The Pitch app intends to help users become better communicators. People today are lacking critical face-to-face communication skills. A recent study by Everest College’s National found that most job seekers are afraid to speak in public, and every year the number of people with social anxiety is increasing (Neal & Sibug, 2013). But with technology disrupting not only the dating scene but also the workforce, more workers are being displaced, and soft skills will be essential to learn for the next generation of the workforce.
Wndr
Wndr is an app that provides a safe platform to crowdsource advice from relationship experts and shared experiences from online daters to obtain another perspective on their dating struggles. Wndr is a resource for online daters to ask questions and connect with other members of the community to explore each other’s path and help one another in finding their match.
The goal for Wndr is to be a reliable resource by providing A safe environment that respects diversity in peoples’ perspectives. To be an environment that supports growth to build confidence in people’s journey into online dating. Anna envisions a community to make the journey of finding love, less lonely.
To learn more about Anna Chau’s work, take a look at her projects in more detail at annachau.com.