A dating app built on compatibility, not swipes
Self-initiated · 4 months · Figma
Instead of the usual appearance-first swipe, Milaan matches on emotional, lifestyle, and astrological compatibility, wrapped in a calm, cosmic visual system built to earn trust.
The problem
Dating apps run on looks and fast swipes, and it wears people out, and there's no real signal for who they'd actually be happy with. Milaan matches on something deeper instead: emotional, lifestyle, and astrological compatibility, not a photo.
Who I spoke to
Objective: uncover the frustrations, motivations, and expectations people bring to modern dating.
What's broken
The same fatigue surfaced again and again: matching on looks alone, endless swiping with little payoff, shallow conversations, and no real signal of long-term compatibility. People wanted to be seen for their values, not ranked by a photo.
Design goals
Five principles shaped every screen:
- Facilitate deeper, compatibility-driven matches
- Build trust and authenticity
- Simplify the matchmaking experience
- Foster emotional comfort and calmness
- Integrate astrology meaningfully
How I worked
A four-phase process took Milaan from open questions to a finished, interactive prototype.
Understand
Users, pain points, and competitors, through interviews, surveys, and secondary research.
Frame
Sharpen the problem into clear problem statements and “How Might We” questions.
Map
Brainstorm solutions, map the user flows, and sketch low-fidelity wireframes.
Build
Interactive prototypes, then finalise the UI: colour, typography, and components.
The user flow
From sign-up through Kundli details to compatibility matching, every path was mapped before a single screen was designed.
The design system
The logo is drawn from the Arundhati–Vashistha constellation, a South Indian symbol of an enduring marriage that stands for trust, commitment, and the long term. That cosmic idea runs through the whole system.
Type is set in Poppins (14–35px) for a warm, modern, highly legible voice, paired with deep night-sky navies, a warm gold, and soft glass surfaces.
Final screens
From onboarding and Kundli details to match preferences and the cosmic match reveal: calm, dark surfaces with gold accents and soft glass.
Outcome
The result feels like meeting someone, not ranking them. Astrology is built into a modern, usable product rather than bolted on top, and the cosmic visual system (deep navies, warm gold, soft glass) does the quiet work of making people trust it. Every step, from profile creation to the match reveal, is meant to feel calm.