Soar
Dating & Friendship App for Autistic Individuals
Role
UX Designer &
Researcher
Timeline
4 Months
Team
5-Person Team
Tools
Figma, MAXQDA, Maze, Illustrator, Miro
Overview
Soar is a dating and friendship app created to help autistic individuals build friendships and romantic connections in a comfortable, secure environment.
The Challenge
How might we create a dating app that feels safe, structured, and supportive for autistic users?
Typical dating apps often overlook accessibility needs and sensory comfort. Our goal was to design an app that centers empathy, user safety, and sensory flexibility from the ground up.
The Outcome
A secure, community-centered social platform that encourages authentic connections and ensures users always feel safe and supported.
Understanding The Need
Designing for trust, comfort, and connection
Autistic individuals often encounter barriers in traditional dating and friendship apps, including overstimulation, stigma, and lack of safety controls. Research aimed to identify how to create a platform that feels trustworthy, inclusive, and easy to navigate.
Research Methods
Online ethnography using public forum discussions
Qualitative coding and thematic analysis in MAXQDA
Focus group interviews with autistic participants
Key Insights
Safety and verification are essential for building trust.
Predictable and sensory-friendly design supports comfort.
Shared-interest events feel more meaningful than swiping.
Clear communication tools reduce anxiety and confusion.
“All my life I’ve never been able to maintain a relationship.” — Focus group participant
Recurring themes of trust, masking, and sensory comfort emerged across 50+ quotes
Design Goals
Insights from research shaped four main design goals guiding Soar’s experience and interface design.
Prioritize Safety
Build user trust through verification and moderation.
Enable Comfort
Offer adjustable visuals, haptics, and sounds.
Foster Connections
Center the experience around shared interests and events.
Build Confidence
Provide conversation prompts and clear feedback systems.
Affinity Diagram
Affinity mapping helped prioritize safety, communication, and sensory comfort as top design pillars.
Miro Board
Design Process
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
The Soar design process centered on understanding how autistic users navigate online spaces and what helps them feel supported, safe, and in control. The team began with user research, conducting qualitative coding and interviews, to uncover common frustrations with existing dating apps and identify opportunities to create a more structured, comfortable experience.
From there, the team sketched early wireframes exploring layouts that emphasized clarity, predictable interaction patterns, and user choice. Through several testing rounds, feedback guided refinements in flow, tone, and accessibility. Every design decision was shaped by a shared goal: building a dating platform that encourages authenticity and connection while fostering a sense of safety and trust.
Design Solutions
Core Design Solutions
Secure Sign-In
Problem
Users felt uneasy about fake accounts and wanted reassurance that the people they connected with were genuine.
Solution
Added photo ID and phone verification during onboarding to confirm each user’s identity. The process uses clear steps and calm, friendly language to feel easy and trustworthy rather than strict.
Outcome
100% task success and 99% usability score
Participants said the verification made them feel safer and more confident using the app.
Event-Based Connections
Problem
Swiping felt impersonal and stressful. Users preferred structured, shared-interest ways to meet people.
Solution
Replaced swiping with local events based on common interests. Each event shows details like lighting, sound, and crowd size so users can choose what fits their comfort level.
Outcome
88% success rate for event navigation
Users said the new design felt “more real” and made socializing less overwhelming.
AI Chatbots & Prompts
Problem
Many users struggled to start conversations and worried about oversharing personal info.
Solution
Introduced conversation prompts and an AI chatbot that gently checks before sending private details. The tone stays friendly and helpful, not robotic or restrictive.
Outcome
80% usability score
Users said the chatbot helped them feel supported and more comfortable chatting.
Usability Testing
Method
Remote Maze testing was conducted with 10 autistic participants to evaluate clarity, accessibility, and emotional comfort.
Tasks Tested
1. Sign-Up & Verify ID
2. Message Another User
3. Explore an Event & View Attendees
Key Results
High success rates show users found key features easy to navigate and felt confident using verified and sensory tools.
