Garbo.io
ROLE
I led the design of a mobile-first web platform from ideation to launch, collaborating with executive members and other key stakeholders including the Trust & Safety teams at Match Group and Tinder.
In addition, I continued leading the design as we scaled post-launch.
PROBLEM
We are meeting people online now more than ever in history. Dating apps in particular have become a breeding ground ripe for harmful behavior as these abusers target their next victim.
App platforms have no way of preventing these crimes from occurring and keeping their users safe.
SOLUTION
I was part of an ambitious project to create a first-of-its-kind non-profit background check web app designed to proactively prevent harm in the digital age where anyone can safely see if someone has a history of violence.
To comply with my non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted and obfuscated confidential information in this case study. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Garbo.
GOALS
The premise was simple. Tap a button, get background check results.
Our high-level goals were to:
1. Make it fast and intuitive for everyone to use.
2. Give users more control over their personal safety.
3. Design a platform with trust and safety in mind.
KICKOFF
• CEO had already completed significant research with advocacy experts in the domestic violence and social justice spaces
• General idea of how the platform should work was set in motion. Took insights and put together the user flow and V1 prototype of the platform
Example of an early persona based on demographics of a Tinder user who would run a background check
User Flow of the Onboarding Process
V1 Prototype included Account Creation, Onboarding, Account Settings, Payment Process, Error Handling, Search Forms, Background Check Results and Edge Cases
USABILITY TESTING
• Tested the V1 prototype on 4 moderated participants over Zoom
• Our goal was to gather feedback about any potential wide-net usability, accessibility and inclusivity issues
User Test Participants
KEY FINDINGS
Users didn't understand that providing more information would equate to higher quality results.
Users weren't sure if they could trust the accuracy of their results. They wanted to see a confidence score.
Users liked the resources but didn't think they were relevant to them. They wanted to see more variety catered to their location and circumstance.
SECOND ROUND OF TESTING
• Reiterated the prototype based on first round feedback
• Set up V1.2 for the next series of testing on 30 unmoderated participants
KEY FINDINGS
We were able to validate the E2E flow for usability and engagement
40% of participants who initially showed skepticism about background checking their dates changed their mind after testing our V.1.2 prototype
THIRD ROUND OF TESTING
• After validating the E2E flow, I developed all of the front end stylesheets and collaborated with engineering until completion
• Tinder's product team ran a final E2E test
KEY FINDINGS
• Discovered match discrepancies regarding the inaccuracies of public records
• Quickly pivoted and re-engineered the way results were delivered to the user
• Instead of a search result returning one single identity match, we now showed multiple possibilities
Final Prototype
PRE & POST-LAUNCH
• Pre-launch, we tested the platform one last time with our much anticipated waitlist. It was very well received, one person saying:
"Innovative. A non-profit. Simple. Tremendously powerful tool that potentially allows the user to confirm their gut feeling about another person."
• Post-launch, we had 500 million impressions on our landing page, resulting in a 5% conversion rate in the first week
• We had press coverage in TechCrunch, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Trevor Noah and many more news outlets