Spicing Up Referral Experiences and Designing Asian-Centric Dating Features
ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
5 UX Design Consultants, CEO, CTO
Timeline
2025 - 12 Weeks
SKILLS
UX Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Interaction Design, User Testing, Design Systems
Tools
Figma, FigJam
CONTEXT
A U.S.-Based Asian Dating App Trying to Grow Its User Base
Krush is a social networking app for dating and events, designed to connect the Asian community. Users can meet people nearby and attend events happening around them.
Problem
But Its Referral Program Struggles with Low Usage and Conversions
Krush currently offers an in-app referral program where users can write a recommendation for a friend, and both parties will receive in-app rewards when there’s a successful sign-up. However, the program has only achieved an average of 2.3 shares per day, with just 9.5 monthly conversions.
PROJECT GOALS
Enhance the referral program to drive organic growth through users’ friend networks
In this project, we wanted to test with 20–30 years old Asian Singles in U.S. who have experience with dating apps on their experiences. Specifically, we were tasked by the CEO to:
Analyze why users are underutilizing the referral feature and explore ways to improve engagement.
Suggest ways to encourage users to actively invite friends to download Krush, even if it’s not through referrals.
RESEARCH: Exploring Referral Programs in Dating Apps
How Top Dating Apps Leverage Referrals to Grow Their User Base?
To help us brainstorm ideas for improving Krush’s referral feature, I conducted a quick competitive analysis of four dating app competitors. The analysis revealed a common trend: integrating matchmaking and rewards into the referral process to encourage user engagement.
Tinder
Tinder Matchmaker lets friends recommend profiles to users.
Sharing Tinder with friends earns rewards.
Hinge
Offers both an in-app referral program and an affiliate program.
Bumble
The Recommend to a Friend feature allows users to play matchmaker by sharing Bumble profiles with friends.
CoffeeMeetsBagel
In-app referral program that incentivizes users to share the app with friends by offering in-app rewards
User Testing (Referral features)
User Interview and User Testing with 8 Asian Dating Apps Users
Our group then brainstormed ideas and as a team we decided test our participants 3 new features which we think will generate great impact. We showed our high-fidelity prototypes to 8 Asian dating Apps users and asked about their first impression and how likely they would use this feature.
Matchmaker feature user testing insights
80% of our participants shared that they take screenshots and chat with their friends about people they came across on dating apps.
87% of participants would love to use this feature. They think this is a fun and interactive way to get friends involved.
“I would prefer to use matchmaker. When I was on the app, I was so tired of swiping all the time. I need to outsource! Please swipe for me! It’s exhausting to do it all the time.”
Jane
Dating App User
“I sometimes ask my friends for help with my profile, so this would be a good next step.”
Swet
Dating App User
“It’s a cute community activity through the app…I like it, I think it’s smart to get other people in your circle involved if you’d like to.”
Melissa
Dating App user
referral FEATURE IDEA 2
Tell A Krush
Krush’s users can submit their crush’s name and phone and they’ll get an anonymous notification someone has a crush on them. Krush tells the user whether their feelings are mutual if they list the user as their crush.
TELL A KUSH User Testing Insights
While some are feel shy to send this message to their crushes, 87% of our participants found this feature bold and fun and 75% of users would accept the referral.
referral FEATURE IDEA 3
Exclusive Offers
Since Krush currently host many in-person events such as blind dates and K-EDM parties, and from competitive analysis I have learned that rewards it’s still a major incentive to users to join apps if the rewards are valuable. I introduced the "Exclusive Offers" feature where users can invite a friend to win free tickets to exclusive events
Exclusive offers feature User Testing Insights
This feature received mixed user feedback. 50% of the participants expressed disinterest in receiving uncertain rewards, feeling they lacked appeal. The other half, however, viewed referrals as low-risk and indicated willingness to participate if the rewards were engaging.
As we spoke with users to understand their perceptions of Krush, a common theme emerged from our interviews. One user said something that was so powerful that really stood out in our minds:
We Decided to Pivot Our Project Goal!
Our interviews and testing revealed that while Krush offers all the essential features of a dating app, it fails to emphasize its core value proposition: celebrating Asianness. Without this focus, users don’t see the app’s unique value, making them less likely to refer friends or stay engaged.
After a team meeting, we decided to shift our goal to designing features tailored specifically for Asian dating app users. To gather inspiration, I conducted a competitive analysis of five direct and indirect competitors.
RESEARCH: competitors analysis
How Do Competitors Engage Users?
My analysis showed that competitors successfully engage users by allowing users to:
Form interest/community groups: Yuzu, Soul, Yubo
Discover profiles via time-sensitive challenges and location-based features: RAW, Happn, Soul
Join live virtual events/games: Yubo, Soul
KRUSH'S engagement PROBLEM
A lot of users are looking to connect on the community feed. Krush users expressed a desire for more engaging ways to meet new people beyond the daily profile limit.
This insight sparked an idea
What if we combined Asian-centric themes with location-based profile discovery?
I quickly visualized this concept through high-fidelity prototypes, and our team decided to test it alongside another proposed idea.
Asian-centric Feature 1
Community Vibe
Users can explore content on Asian culture, including dating tips, friendships, food, family, and date night ideas, all in one place. Additionally, they receive a compatibility score based on their activity.
75% users supported the idea
Asian-centric Feature 2
Daily Snap and Connect
Users can explore content on Asian culture, including dating tips, friendships, food, family, and date night ideas, all in one place. Additionally, they receive a compatibility score based on their activity.
90% users supported the idea
Community vibe feature user testing insights
“This idea is interesting, I think it could be fun to change up the swiping dynamic.”
David
Dating App User
“It is cool, it is like gamification. Making it more gamify in interesting way would attract more users.”
Leo
Dating App User
“This feature will actually makes me want to post something on the app if I find the prompt relates to me”
Emily
Dating App user
REFLECTIONS
Our client, Steven, CEO of Correlation Co., responded positively to our recommendations, calling them “good brain openers.” He was particularly interested in the Daily Snap & Connect feature and considered integrating it into Krush’s community feed.
To wrap up, I had a wonderful time working with my team of UX researchers and I learned so much about user testing, designing under tight deadlines and developed good communication and collaboration skills especially after we shifted our project focus.
