Spark — Rachel Safir

Team

Duration

My Role

Rachel Safir

Caitie Caldwell

Sep. - Oct. 2021

4 weeks

UX Research

Concept Generation

UX Design & Prototyping

The Problem

When I was in a long distance relationship with my partner, I was frustrated by the lack of good communication options. A 14 hour time difference made phone calls hard to schedule. Gifts and letters took weeks to receive. I thought, if I’m having this problem, others must be too!

After talking with others in long distance relationships, I learned that many couples in this situation have trouble communicating consistently and meaningfully.

The Solution

Considering this problem, we designed a small, automated printer for the home and coordinating application to improve the ease, emotional impact, and personalization of long-distance communication.

In the Spark app, users can type a message to their partner. Upon pressing “Send,” the note will print from their partner’s Spark printer. The Spark app even allows users to upload their handwriting as a font, so long distance partners can receive love notes in each other’s handwriting.

Design Process

Research

Ideation

Design

Prototype

Interviews

Market Research

Personas

Sketches

Storyboards

Wireframes

Final Screens

Adobe XD Prototype

Research

User Interviews

Interview goals and talking points:

How do long distance couples prefer to communicate with each other?
Regarding current communication options, what pain points exist?
What are participants’ ideal scenarios for communicating with their partner?
What problems or difficulties do participants face in their long distance relationship (LDR)?
What makes communication feel personal?
How do participants feel about some of the products available in the LDR market today?

Participants:

We conducted 4 interviews with men and women between 19 and 21 years old who had been in a long distance relationship for months or years. Half managed a time difference.

Market Research

The Friendship Lamp

When one partner touches their lamp, the other lights up. The goal is to signal to your partner that you’re thinking of them.

We asked interviewees what they thought about the Friendship Lamp. This is what they had to say:

“I want to connect with a person, not a device.”
“If you’re gone during the day you won’t be there to see it.”
”I feel like I’d forget to use it.”

The Lovebox

The Lovebox offers an alternative way to send a message to a romantic partner. Users can type a message on the app that will appear on their partner’s Lovebox as soon as they press “Send.”

Our interviewees didn’t like this product because they found it to be too similar to texting:

“It would be cool if cellphones didn’t exist, but they do.”
“This is similar to texting, but makes it harder to exchange multiple messages.”

We researched several products marketed to long distance couples, both to understand existing methods for connecting long distance partners and to spot gaps in the industry. Most products connect romantic partners via vague digital signals (like digital touches or vibrations). Others function as messaging assistants. As part of our research, we asked participants what they thought of a few of these products:

During interviews, we discovered that:

Long distance couples wish there was an easier way to send physical gifts, like packages and letters, without time or cost restrictions.
Texting is the most frequently used method of communication among participants. They all consider it the easiest way to communicate, but also the least personal.
Participants enjoy seeing their partner’s face and hearing their voice.
Participants want to hear about their partner’s day.

During market research, we discovered that:

Participants are dissatisfied with the LDR products currently on the market. For many, existing solutions are either too similar to texting to be worthwhile (like the Lovebox) or too vague to be meaningful (like the Friendship Lamp).

Key Findings

Ideation

Sketches

Early thoughts about the printer’s design

Focusing in on the printer’s design. I drew aesthetic inspiration from vintage letterboxes

Should it be mounted on a wall?

How complex should it’s shape be?

Should it be embellished?

The strongest designs

After A/B testing, we settled on this design:

My partner and I looked over our notes and discussed our findings. We noticed that people like having the ability to instantly communicate with their partner. However, often that instantaneousness lacks romance (like texting) or feasibility (like scheduling a FaceTime). When we asked participants what made communication feel romantic to them we got a lot of different answers, but most agreed on two things. One, they love when they can tell their partner put time and effort into something for them. And two, they enjoy receiving loving messages, handwritten notes, postcards, and gifts from their partner.

Using this information, we decided to design a small printer that could instantly print letters sent from a corresponding app. However, one participant pointed out: “I think that if I received a letter in Calibri it would be the least personal thing I could ever receive.” That was the opposite of our goal! We decided to give users the option to upload their handwriting as a font. That way, the notes could be instantaneous, personal and romantic.

I made several sketches before settling on the printer’s design. I took inspiration from old-fashioned letterboxes to lean into the old-timey, romantic feel of handwritten love letters.

Final Design

Long distance relationships are hard. Make it easier with Spark.

Are you looking for more romantic ways to connect with your long distance partner? Good news! With the Spark app and printer, you can instantly send your partner handwritten love letters in just 3 easy steps: