2. Research
Current academic research focus
Individual interviews with users (<50 people)
Large datasets from real online dating networks (10000+)
No medium-sized studies
How to optimize a profile
Breakdown of behavior based on gender, sexual orientation, race,
etc.
7. Questions
What is wrong with online dating sites today?
How do you measure "success" for a dating network?
What unique features from special interest (LGBT, kink, religious,
etc.) dating networks could be used in straight ones?
How do features stack up for different genders and sexual
orientations?
8.
9. Experimental
Platform
Closed dating site with control set of users
Capture usage data
Compare actual vs. shared profile data
Modular to allow easy swapping of test features
Surveys to capture perceived UX
Surveys to determine effectiveness of matches
12. Study
Average profiles (control)
Condensed profiles
Too-much-info profiles
Video profiles
Storytelling profiles: Madlibs
Location: distance by transit time, multiple locations
Unlimited vs. limited contact with other users
Friends build your profile
13. Deliverables
HCI analysis of features used in dating networks
Data on comparative effectiveness of features per gender and
sexual orientation
(post-graduation) Publish academic paper
(stretch) Dating site distribution for Drupal community
14. Schedule
Create - 3 weeks total (2/18 - 3/11)
development - 2.5 weeks
beta signups - 3 weeks
launch event - 3 weeks
Experiment - 4 weeks total (3/11 - 4/8)
trials - 4 weeks
5 days is the absolute minimum I want to run one experiment
5 days/experiment * 14 experiments = 10 weeks
mitigation options
combine experiments
cut experiments
segregate into different groups to run 2 different experiments simultaneously (requires larger pool of
users)
continue running experiments into the Analyze period and only include that data in the final written
thesis or post-graduation academic paper
analyze data simultaneously
program new experiments simultaneously
Analyze (4/8 - 4/30)
crunch data - 1 week
write thesis summary - Week 11 - 1 week
SUBMIT THESIS SUMMARIES AND MATERIALS FOR THESIS BOOK BY END OF CLASS APRIL 16
create presentation - 1 week
Present:Class 13 -April 30
