June 4, 2025 • 2 min read

PlayDate: Community Mobile App for single parents

by Lynksen
UI/UX Design, Product Design, Mobile App Development
 
Project description
 
PlayDate is the UK’s first mobile app for divorced, widowed, separated, or solo parents to connect and find love. Our goal was to simplify both the romantic and daily lives of app users.
 
While executing, there were two challenges:
1. Create a cross-platform to make digital feel simple for the specific audience (40+ years), as they might be less familiar with digital technology.
2. Build a strong community within the app.
 
 
Our strategy was to focus on both usability and aesthetics, prioritizing the expectations of the target audience. Considering their demographics like age and psychographics like single-parent mindset, we conducted research, did user testing, and implemented 3 main features: matchmaking, babysitting, and privacy controls.
 
 
We created over 50 screens for IOS and Android, including simple registration flow, in-app messaging, profiles, search, settings, date ideas, matchmaking, etc. To make the cross-platform work, we implemented the design using React Native.
 
Eventually, this app allows users to do the following:
  • Find a love, based on the filters set
  • Find a babysitter within the app (it’s integrated with Bubble, the UK’s top babysitting app)
  • Hide the profile from unwanted contacts

In terms of UI, we crafted a clean, refined, user-friendly design that got approval from Apple, confirming that all the components like touch controls, text size, spacing, organization, etc., meet industry-established standards.

Deliverables

Mobile App Design & Development

  • Designed and developed a cross-platform mobile app using React Native, optimized for both iOS and Android

  • Delivered a complete mobile experience tailored to parents with limited digital familiarity

  • Created 50+ custom screens for all key app sections:

    • Onboarding & registration

    • Profiles & search

    • Messaging & date ideas

    • Matchmaking & filters

    • Settings & privacy control

Product Design

  • Defined core app features based on user research & interviews:

    • Matchmaking system with smart filters

    • Babysitting integration (via Bubble – UK’s top babysitting service)

    • Privacy-first controls (hide profile from specific users)

  • Mapped user journeys with high empathy for emotional and technical needs of single parents

  • Structured features to balance practical utility (babysitting) and emotional connection (dating)

UI/UX Design

  • Developed a clean, refined, and age-appropriate interface

    • Large touch targets, readable typography, accessible colors

    • Simple, calm visual language to reduce cognitive friction

  • Created intuitive user flows optimized for a 40+ audience

  • Prototypes tested and validated with real users before development

  • Achieved App Store approval with a design that meets Apple’s UX standards

Tools & Technologies

  • Figma, Adobe XD – UI design, prototyping, and component library

  • Adobe Illustrator & Photoshop – graphic assets and icons

  • React Native – cross-platform mobile app development

  • User testing tools for A/B and live feedback

#App Development#product design#UI/UX

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