2 FOR 1 :
COUPLE & RELATIONSHIP
A gamified mobile app centered on the concept of Love Languages that helps couples in long-distance relationships stay connected.
Duration
8 weeks
Designer
Koan Sun
Works
Primary Research
Competitor Research
Information Architecture
Design System
UI Design
Prototype
PROBLEM
Long-distance couples struggle to communicate effectively, creating disconnection and insecurity.
They need a way to deepen understanding and maintain emotional closeness despite the distance.
SOLUTION
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Grow a shared plant by taking turns, fostering connection and teamwork
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Learn each other's love language by listing prizes for one another and playing mini-games
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A time-locked love note that lets couples receive messages from their partners during offline moments, keeping the connection alive.
LEARNING EACH OTHER'S
LOVE LANGUAGE
The five love languages—words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch—are distinct ways of expressing and receiving love.
By helping partners learn each other's love language, 2 for 1 helps partners reduce misunderstandings and ensures both partners feel genuinely supported
Growing Plant together
Taking turns refilling water and watering the plant fosters connection and teamwork
Mini-Games to Learn Your Partner's Love Language
STEP 01
List prizes tailored to your partner's love language
Learning partner’s love language through third party
STEP 02
Mini-game winners receive customized prizes from their partners
Time-Locked Love Notes Surprise Your Partner
Allow users to set a love note widget on their phone screen
History
Review your and your partner's activities in the app
observing potential users...
Survey
I gathered 102 responses from people who are in long-distance relationships and conducted interviews to better understand the potential users.
The top three functions people are looking for in a long-distance relationship app are:
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Recall Memories
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Shared Calendar
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Mini Games
Interview & Insights
I did an affinity map to organize information from interviews, and then get two key insights about long-distance relationships:
01
Understanding each other's needs is relatively hard in a long-distance relationship
02
Feeling disconnected is particularly frustrating in long-distance relationships, especially when offline
Affinity Diagramming Process
Interviews
Stickers from Interviews
Affinity Diagramming
PROBLEM SCOPE
How might we ease the challenges for people in long-distance relationships by enabling them to communicate effectively with their significant others?
PERSONA
Competitor Research
To better understand the market, I analyzed five popular relationship apps: Evergreen, Paired, Official, Tree of Memories, and SumOne. By comparing their features, I identified functions that address long-distance relationship challenges and uncovered opportunities for 2 for 1.
Four competitors feature quiz games to help partners understand each other and stay connected. However, these games often stop short of fostering deeper insights beyond the results. Therefore, 2 for 1 can seize this opportunity by creating mini-games that entertain and help couples better understand each other.
While these competitors incorporate mini-games, their designs lean more toward functionality than being game-oriented. Maintaining a close relationship requires keeping things engaging and fun. As an app for long-distance relationships, 2 for 1 can differentiate itself by making the entire experience more gamified to boost motivation and strengthen the connection between partners.
IDEATION
Based on the research insights and user personas, I began brainstorming ways to enhance communication in long-distance relationships.
Through this exploration, I identified two primary challenges: keeping users engaged and ensuring the app is fun and educational. To address these, I developed the Growing Plants Together feature to promote regular check-ins and maintain connection through simple, collaborative activities. Additionally, I incorporated love language learning into mini-games to help users improve communication with their partners.
After conducting several interviews and synthesizing insights, I defined the MVP features: Growing Plants Together, Mini-Games with Love Language, Time-Locked Love Note, To-Do List, and History. These features were prioritized based on user needs, feasibility, and impact.
site map
After organizing the key content, I created a sitemap to define the website’s structure and guide the user flow, ensuring navigation is clear and intuitive.
user flow
HOME
GAME
LOve note
to do list
After finalizing the IA and completing the wireframes, I developed a mid-fidelity prototype for user testing. Feedback from these tests helped me assess its usability, clarity, and overall efficiency, ensuring the design met user needs and enhanced communication for couples in long-distance relationships.
Key iterations after user testing:
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Gamified Watering Mechanic: To enhance engagement and immersion, I replaced the traditional watering can with a gamified weather system that lets users generate rain clouds to water the plant.
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Love Note Widget: Users can now set a 'Love Note' as a widget on their phone screen.
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Prize Placement: I moved the prize to the final section of the game results page, ensuring users review the entire page.
Mid-Fi Prototype & User Testing
branding
The logo comprises two flowers, symbolizing both partners letting their relationship bloom.
Its color can be customized according to the user's gender identity.
style guide
Design system
