Mediatecture

What began as an exercise in projection mapping evolved into an exploration of human interaction and online dating platforms.

More than 1/2 of young adults (18-29-year-olds) and 1/3 of middle-aged adults (30-49-year-olds) use online dating sites or apps. Far less of these Millennials and Gen Z users end up meeting face-to-face.

Dating apps leave much to be desired when it comes to follow-through, and by design, these platforms commoditize connections and construct a level of emotional detachment for their users.

Below is a chart that graphs one users experience over the course of 500 days on OKCupid.com. Unlike Tinder, or Bumble, OKCupid.com also matches users through an extensive list of questions.

Visualizing Tinder data reinforced the ubiquitous trend associated with interactions on popular dating applications. Below is a diagram which tracks the profile of a 22-year-old male over the course of 117 days.

Merging motion sensing and 3D mapping allowed for me to generate an initial series of interactive studies exploring proximity and human connection.

When the left portion of the screen turns yellow, it indicates that two bodies are approaching opposite one another. As their movement is being tracked in space, an animation is triggered and projected on the surface behind those who traverse.

In this scenario two strangers walk past one another on a sidewalk. Their silhouettes are mapped and projected on a surface behind them, and these digital copies embrace one another for a brief moment.

This investigation begged a larger question, could perfect strangers be brought together in a variety of settings? Furthermore, did there exist any technology or platforms that might be leveraged and/ or improved?

The physical mockup was a pleasure to interact with and proved to be a clever look into the way designers and users of dating apps alike might reimagine their use.