ProgressBook_Final_04-10-2020

The Together App.
Thesis Process Book by Amanda Levinaite
1

2

1.
Introduction
Nice to Meet You 04
Hunt Statement 06
3.
2.
Research
Secondary Research 08
Bibliography 10
Main Texts 14
The Crew 15
Target Audience 16
Primary Research 24
Competitors 30
Solution
Main Question 34
The Solution 36
The Logo Process 38
Components 42
Final Design 50
Finishing the App 56
Social Marketing 58
Project Statement 62
Final Space Layout 63
Thank You 64
3

Nice to Meet You!
My name is Amanda and welcome to my
thesis process book. I’m a Chicago-based
designer, illustrator, and maker.
Believe it or not, I actually grew up envisioning
that I would become a world-renowned pediatric
oncologist. Nevertheless, I was still drawing
and creating wonderful works of art. But I was
convinced that my life purpose would be to help
people heal or feel better- not be an artist.
Once I hit high school and took my first
Photoshop class, I found a passion for design.
And it took off from there, really. Still, I never
forgot that I wore my heart on my sleeve,
especially when relationships were involved.
Reasoning behind my thesis topic:
Throughout the past few years, I somehow kept
finding myself in situations where managing a
relationship was involved. Whether that was with
my own or a friend looking for advice, it always
found its way to me. The best advice I could
offer was “everything happens for a reason,”
something my mom would always tell me
when I was stressed.
Speaking of my own relationship, I actually met
my boyfriend in my junior year of high school.
To this day, I consider him to be one of my best
friends. However, he wasn’t always my best
friend. We hit lows I never thought we would hit.
To the point where I heard the words “toxic” and
“leave him” from others when I sought advice,
over and over again. And yes, we ended up
breaking up. But only for a few months.
The funny thing about this story is there’s a happy
ending, just like in the fairytales. We ended
up back together and learned from our own
mistakes and grew into healthier, better people.
But all of this took a lot of time, effort, and
choices. It took understanding who I wanted to
be to make the conscious effort to do better.
In coming up with my thesis, I thought about all
sorts of things. But the one I kept coming back
to was how commitment to a relationship
changed my life. Why did I choose this?
Relationships have been an important part of my
life and because I’ve struggled through them and
have come out stronger because of it.
As generations continue to pass, people
will constantly be facing the challenges of
commitment. Thus, I asked myself, “What
could I create to help make a relationship
just a little bit better?”
4

I wear my heart on my sleeve.
I’m inspired by my friends, family,
spirituality, and self-help books.
I love exploring bold movement,
and philosophical questions.
5

Hunt Statement
I researched commitment and its impact
on modern day relationships so that
I can create an efficient/easy (user
friendly) way to help people manage
their challenges with their partner.
6

7

Secondary Research
My secondary research has been focused on
figuring out the roots of commitment while
also affirming that lack of commitment within
relationships is a problem.
So how is it a problem? To most people a failed
relationship may be because of incompatibility
or them saying, “It just didn’t work out”. But what
keeps them from actually trying to make it work?
Throughout my initial research, it was
important for me to understand the dynamic
between a person and their relationship – the
root cause being themselves. What actually
keeps a person from trying is their lack
of commitment.
Well, what’s the big issue with
commitment anyway?
We define commitment as a way of dedication
and prevailing within a relationship. It’s the
component to what we might assume to be a
“successful” relationship. But why are people
so afraid of commitment?
People who fear commitment to a long-term
relationship can fall under one of these three
repeating patterns:
Fearful-Avoidant:
I want a committed relationship but I’m afraid
of getting hurt in some way or another.
Dismissive-Avoidant:
I do not need you nor do I need or want you
to depend on me.
Anxious-Preoccupied:
I want to be close to you, but I don’t think you
want to be close to me.
Following these patterns, I found that it’s also
because we’ve grown up in a generation where
our needs come first. So much so that we expect
things to fall in our lap and provide us with
benefits without having to work for it. But how
can we put in effort for a relationship when we
can barely afford an apartment?
“Trying to live with somebody else and putting
their needs first is more difficult when you have
been raised to put yourself first,”
Furthermore, It’s important to note that someone
may also avoid a relationship because of these
three categories:
8

Time
Time is rather essential to us these days to the
point where millennials sleep an average 6.5
hours every night. The recommended amount
of sleep for a millennial is 8-9 hours.
With so little time in this day and age, cultural
individualism can be a major factor in preventing
millennials from truly committing. It’s come to
a point where spending time with friends has
turned into hours of working on an assignment
that’s due at midnight.
Many in the millennial generation are trying
to juggle social lives, work to make money,
and mental health. Let alone making time
for a healthy relationship.
Communication
Without communication, we can end up building
walls between each other. This can lead to
communication problems, which is the most
common factor that leads to divorce (65%).
Followed by the inability to solve conflict at 42%.
To a relationship, communication is crucial. If
a person is unable to tell their partner what’s
wrong, how can a relationship progress properly?
If a person and their partner are open to each
other and compassionate toward their individual
struggles, they can help each other overcome
obstacles and become the people they both
want to be together. Doing this would allow for
a more committed and healthy relationship.
Choice
In our generation it’s common to have plenty
of choices in life compared to generations
in the past. However, having more options
leads to fewer selections- and, it turns out,
less satisfaction.
The choice overload phenomenon was
immortalized through a study. In this study,
the researchers gave shoppers at an upscale
grocery store 6 choices of jam. With fewer
options to choose from, these shoppers were
far more likely to make a purchase, and be happy
with it, compared to when they were given
24 choices of jam.
Translate this to the dating world. The world is
at our fingertips and we have an endless choice
of partners. When something goes wrong, it’s
easy to find another partner than to deal with the
problem with the previous partner. However, with
the excessive choices given, millennials often feel
confused and unsatisfied with their decisions.
9

Bibliography
Why modern relationships fail
This article talks about how we tend to have an obsession with instant gratification and through that
we begin to view relationships as fragile. In modern day, we find it difficult to find time for ourselves
and our own lives that making time to heal relationships, if not improve them, proves to be difficult.
We have voids to fill like receiving attention and affection, but we avoid commitment. Fear will run our
love lives. We don’t want a boring relationship or one that mimics negative patterns from a previous
relationship. Everything needs to be easy. Honesty towards yourself is a way to break this pattern of
fear and loss within love: In order to create and form an undeniable bond with someone, you have to
connect on a deeper level. You can’t get to the soul without getting underneath the distractions.
Ponti, Apollonia. “Why Modern Day Relationships Fail: Change It Now!” Apollonia Ponti, 7 Dec. 2018, www.
apolloniaponti.com/modern-relationships/.
Be your own couples’ therapist
The very first thing you should work on is empowering yourself because the only person you can
change is you. This article talks about 6 different ways on how you can work out your own relationship.
Unilaterally disarm: It’s easy to identify undesirable traits and begin to complain about them saying
how wrong everything is. Until you begin to realize that you’re both right and both wrong, change is
inevitable. Start taking responsibility for your own actions.
Firestone, Lisa. “Be Your Own Couples Therapist.” PsychAlive, 8 Jan. 2013, www.psychalive.org/be-your-owncouples-therapist
We expect too much from our romantic partners
People are beginning to seek self-actualization within their marriages, expecting their partner to
be all things to them. We have an expectation that our spouses are meant to help us grow and be a
better version of ourselves rather than figure out those problems within ourselves. Sometimes when
marriages fall short of these expectations, we become disappointed and that’s when problems start
to come up. This is where relationships may begin to blame their partners rather than themselves.
Khazan, Olga. “We Expect Way Too Much From Our Romantic Partners.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company,
20 Mar. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/09/we-expect-way-too-much-from-our-romanticpartners/541353/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark.
10

Why relationships are easily discarded
A different perspective on modern day relationships. Rather than talking about wanting instant
gratification or expecting the most from our partner, this article talks about how people are settling
for less than they deserve out of fear of dying alone or refusing to give chances because they live
in fear of opening up to people. The world is at our fingertips, so it’s easy to discard relationships
that don’t “help” us or find a relationship that satisfies our need of having “someone”.
O’Leary, Kiara. “Here’s The Heartbreaking Truth About Why Modern Relationships Are So Easily Discarded
Today.” Thought Catalog, 11 July 2016, thoughtcatalog.com/kiara-oleary/2016/07/why-modern-relationshipsare-so-easily-discarded-today/.
Commitment issues
Some individuals who fear committing to a long-term romantic relationship might actually desire
a long-term partner while still experiencing discomfort at the thought of such a relationship.There
may be an issue of attachment insecurity shown through these patterns: Fearful-Avoidant: I want
a committed relationship but I’m afraid of getting hurt. Dismissive-Avoidant: I do not need you
nor do I need you to depend on me. Anxious-Preoccupied: I want to be close to you, but I don’t
think you want to be close to me. They may agree to a long-term relationship at first but begin to
withdraw after a few months. Sometimes they may avoid long term relationships and opt for one
night stands, friends with benefits, etc.. This article mentions that commitment issues stem from
mental health issues and are overall connected with each other.
“Commitment Issues.” Edited by Courtney Telloian and Emily Swaim, GoodTherapy, 9 Nov. 2015, www.
goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/commitment-issues.
Why relationships fail easily
We are so obsessed with the concept of love that we fail to see the hardships associated with it.
The realm of love goes beyond just cute texts. It’s much deeper than that. Real love is about will
make you happy from within, it will make you cry, it will turn you restless but the sad part about
the modern relationship is that they don’t last that long but instead fall apart. In fact, we choose to
love/be in love. Too much love, too little love, and a slave to technology. Modern relationships start
to struggle past the so-called “honeymoon phase”.
Dutta, Namrata. “Reasons Why Modern Relationships Fail Miserably.” Onlymyhealth, 9 Sept. 2016,www.
onlymyhealth.com/reasons-why-modern-relationships-fail-miserably-1473406618.
11

Bibliography (continued)
We are a generation that doesn’t want relationships
We are a generation that doesn’t want relationships. We want the pretty promise without the
commitment because the effort is too much. We tell ourselves there’s more fish in the sea. We
feel entitled to love and that a happily ever after exists for everyone. It’s not that we don’t want
relationships, we do. We just don’t fully understand and feel like it should be handed to us.
Wilkinson, Krysti. “We Are The Generation Who Doesn’t Want Relationships.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 21 Sept. 2016, www.
huffpost.com/entry/we-are-the-generation-who-doesnt-want-reltionships_b_572131a5e4b03b93e7e435d8.
Why Millennials won’t commit
Pew Research polls have concluded that the millennial generation is less likely to marry than any
other generation in modern history. 26% of people ages 18-32 are married. This article mentions a
commonality with other articles in regard to how our parents raised us and the psychology behind it.
Scared of getting hurt in relationship. Not financially comfortable. Constantly told “There’s someone
for everyone”. Disney romance. Want the benefits.
Tepfenhart, Ossiana. “Why Millennials Can’t (Won’t) Commit.” Why Millennials Can’t (Won’t) Commit, 2016, vocal.
media/humans/why-millennials-can-t-won-t-commit.
Doing it wrong: Love in the modern age
Consequences of excessive choice: Why settle/commit when there’s someone around the corner?
We’re trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of emotional distance with each other. Most of us really
want love at some point, but our actions are at war with this desire. We maintain emotional distance
because we fear commitment and rejection, not because that is our true self. We replace the feeling
of true intimacy with short term flings, long term noncommittal hookups, and sex. We comfort
ourselves knowing at least we’re not feeling the stinging pain of a broken heart, at least we don’t
have to deal with real emotions.
Mark, Alex. “Doing It Wrong: Love in the Modern Age.” Medium, Be Yourself, 22 Mar. 2018, byrslf.co/when-did-itbecome-uncool-to-love-bcaf41621298.
Commitment for Millennials: Is it okay, Cupid?
This article shows data talking about the comparison between the modern millennial generation
12

versus generations like the Boomers: In a new analysis of the General Social Survey of some 33,000
U.S. adults, Twenge and her colleagues have found that premarital sex has become more socially
accepted over the years: The percentage who viewed premarital sex as “not wrong at all” grew from
about 29 percent in the 70s to 58 percent by 2012. More than half of the millennials surveyed by
Pew characterize their own cohort as self-absorbed. “Trying to live with somebody else and putting
their needs first is more difficult when you have been raised to put yourself first,” says San Diego
State University psychologist Jean Twenge. Follow-up studies confirmed this decision paralysis: more
options lead to fewer selections—and, it turned out, less satisfaction with the choices made. And the
options for potential partners appear endless.
Landau, Elizabeth. “Commitment for Millennials: Is It Okay, Cupid?” Scientific American Blog Network, 8 Feb. 2016,
blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/commitment-for-millennials-is-it-okay-cupid/.
The 5 keys to commitment in relationships
We crave consistency within relationships. But that consistency can only come from true commitment.
Which is hard, but absolutely possible. Commitment begins with desire. Each person has to want
it and be willing to sacrifice for the other. It takes shifting the way we view ourselves and giving up
something, in order to give to someone else. We millennials tend to commit to things a bit less than
our parents and older generations. Buying a home, settling down, finding that special someone.
We don’t want to feel rushed. What I learned from that experience is that commitment requires
open communication channels and an “all-in” mentality by both people. Relationships require each
individual to meet in the middle, with dual commitment for the present and future. Sure, nothing is
promised, but when it comes time to progressing in a relationship and talking marriage, it’s critical for
communication to be on point. Here are the 5 keys: positive experiences (not just hang outs), going all
in, eliminating temptation, understanding from your partners view, and what matters the most to you?
Connors, Christopher D. “The 5 Keys to Commitment in Relationships.” Medium, Mission.org, 10 Feb. 2019,
medium.com/the-mission/the-5-keys-to-commitment-in-relationships-bf20b67abdb4.
Love- you’re doing it wrong
Philosopher Yann Dall’Aglio explores the universal search for tenderness and connection in a world
that’s ever more focused on the individual. As it turns out, it’s easier than you think. A wise and witty
reflection on the state of love in the modern age. Talks about our need for connection and bond.
Dall’Aglio, Yann, director. Love- You’re Doing It Wrong. TED, 2012, www.ted.com/talks/yann_dall_aglio_love_you_
re_doing_it_wrong?referrer=playlist-talks_on_how_to_make_love_last.
13

Main Texts.
My primary text talks about
helping maintain a relationship
with self-love, commitment, and
social support. It has research
and psychological studies
regarding the couple well-being.
My secondary text focuses
on connecting through
understanding different
styles of communication
and how that can potentially
benefit a relationship.
14

The Crew
Lauren Cook
Social Creative @ Bader Rutter
Lauren is a MIAD alumni and a
personal mentor. She’s inspired me in
my creative work and helps me with idea
generating and keeping me in check with
reality. She gives honest feedback while
making sure I am still enjoying my work.
Mark Davis
Senior UX Designer @ Brady Corporation
Mark is a MIAD alumni and specializes in
interface design. He would help me figure
out user flow and UX design that focuses
specifically on my target audience. He
and Debbie, his partner, are also great
references for my target audience and
a successful relationship.
Taylor Belmer
UX Writer and SEO @ Hoffman York
Taylor uses words as her design tool. As a
UX Writer and SEO, she works on researchbased
content creation. She is a great
reference for content review and overall
research when it comes to writing for the
user experience. She has a great eye for
style and keen eye for copy edits, too.
15

My target audience is primarily
committed couples between the
ages of 21-26 who are in a variety of
relationships beyond just marriage.
My secondary audience consists of
younger women who tend to reach out
to someone when a relationship may
have a problem.

Marissa and Ryan
22 & 24 Years old | Living Together
Marissa and Ryan met through friends
and have been together for 7 months. The
majority of their relationship consisted of
living in two different states up until recently,
when Marissa decided to move to a new
state to move in with Ryan.
To Ryan, life couldn’t be any better. He’s
secured himself an engineering job in a
nearby city and comes home every night
to his girlfriend.
However, Marissa has begun to feel lost and
unsure. She couldn’t imagine being without
Ryan, but can’t seem to fit into the new
lifestyle. Because of this, she’s started to
take out her frustrations on Ryan.
Ryan is unsure with what to do and as a
result has started to give her space, leaving
Marissa with the constant anxiety that Ryan
no longer wants to communicate with her
due to annoyance.
Marissa feels she may need some help
adjusting and communicating better but
doesn’t feel that their relationship needs
therapy just yet.
17

Alyssa and Kevin
Both 23 years old | Dating
Alyssa and Kevin met on Tinder 4 months
ago. At first, Alyssa was shy and nervous in
fear of getting hurt again. The pair bonded
over their love for hiking and terrible horror
films on Netflix. After a few dates, the two
became inseparable.
Currently living in Milwaukee WI, the pair
see each other at least 5 days a week. If for
some reason their schedules don’t align,
they make sure to meet up and spend the
night with each other.
Lately, they started to notice that their
once-fun relationship has started to become
bland. With their busy schedules, they find
that they’re both too tired to manage dates
beyond seeing each other late at night and
falling asleep.
Because of this, they started to have minor
arguments since Kevin feels too comfortable
and Alyssa wants spontaneity. Alyssa doesn’t
want their relationship to fail, so she has
started to look for different games and apps
to help spice up their relationship.
18
Kevin wants to make sure Alyssa is happy so
he is more than willing to do whatever small
things he needs to do to satisfy her needs
and desires.

Michael and Joshua
24 & 26 years old | Married
Michael and Joshua have been married
for 3 years and currently live together in
Minneapolis, MN.
Recently, Michael has begun to travel
to various countries due to his new job.
Because Joshua comes from a large, closeknit
family and values time spent with loved
ones, he has had a hard time being away
from Michael.
Michael is not affected as much by the
separation as Joshua but does his best to
make sure he talks to Joshua every night,
despite the time difference.
The pair share a calendar with one another
to keep track of each other’s daily lives but
admit that it’s become a struggle to talk
more than 5 minutes at a time.
Michael and Joshua have begun to struggle
being away and expressing the closeness
they once felt when they were together
every day. Due to the struggle, Michael has
started to distance himself and occupy his
time with work.
Joshua wants to do his best to keep things
light but also try to spend as much time as
he can with his spouse.
19

Chosen Personas.
A Couple of
Individuals.
Establishing an audience is one thing, but
as I focused onto two individuals, Marissa
and Ryan, I began to see that my thesis
needed to also provide a solution for each
of them as individuals as well as their
relationship together.
Marissa and Ryan are two individuals who
have been dating for 7 months in a long
distance relationship and recently moved
20

Meet Marissa
22 years old | ISFJ | LL: Words of Affirmation
Marissa has been dating Ryan for the
past 7 months, enduring a long distance
relationship. She recently moved in with
Ryan to another state.
Problem
Part of moving in with Ryan required her to
change jobs and locations. She feels lost
and is unable to communicate her feelings.
How she is handling it
- Taking out frustrations on Ryan.
- Talks to hometown friends when upset.
Meet Ryan
24 years old | ESFP | LL: Quality Time
Having endured a long distance relationship
with Marissa, he’s excited that Marissa is
moving in with him.
Problem
Part of moving in together has resulted in
Marissa becoming irritated. Ryan is now
unsure how to comfort her. He’s upset
and worried for their relationship.
How he is handling it
- Inviting Marissa to spend time with friends.
- Giving her alone time when she’s upset.
- Goes partying with friends when stressed.
21

22

23

Where do young adults go to
solve challenging issues
within relationships?
What kind of human behavior
patterns are there?
What does commitment
mean to someone?
What can I attribute
to commitment?
24

Let’s Research.
Demographic
Surveys
The surveys gave me a better
understanding of my demographic
and their day-to-day relationships
by asking questions related to their
values and communication.
Personal
Interviews
The interviews conducted gave me
a more in depth answer regarding
commitment through meaning
and how it impacts a variety of
relationships on a personal level.
25

Primary Research.
55.9%
75%
1. How have you brought up problems
within your current/previous relationship?
55.9%: I immediately confront them or
I argue/simmer/be upset and THEN
confront them
2. Compared to your partner, what
percentage of work do you think you
put into your relationship?
75%: I put in 50-70% more work in
than my partner does
33.3%
66%
3. What would you consider to be the
biggest issue in your current relationship?
33.3%: Other (living together issues, privacy,
decision making, and scheduling)
followed by making an effort/time
4. If you have the option, where do you
go to look for aid in your relationship?
66%: I look for aid in friends
followed by therapy
26

Let’s talk surveys
For my first survey, I focused on general.
I asked about time, communication, and
choices. Through this, I was able to find my
demographic. But of course that wasn’t enough,
so I had to make a second survey for my second
demographic: female, 21-26, in a relationship.
With the second survey, I found quite a few
balanced charts that seemed difficult to decipher.
Taking a closer look at it, I found that there’s a
huge spectrum when it comes to relationships.
Someone who took the survey mentioned:
“I may be an outlier because if I had to take this
survey 5 years ago, my answers would be entirely
different. But that just shows me how much
my partner and I have grown”
It was when they said this that I realized well no
kidding my answers look so balanced! Everyone
is at a different point in their relationship. Let’s
take a closer look at the charts on the left page.
being in some way related to: “I do one of these
options given (ignoring, being upset, etc)
and then I’ll confront them.”
Question 2:
Again, while the largest portion of this pie
chart was 42.9% to 50%, the answers lied in the
second and third largest portion: “I put in 60-70%
more work than my partner.” This data suggests
that woman in the relationship are more inclined
to put in more effort including finding solutions
Question 3:
What I found interesting with this one was that
“Other” was the most chosen answer. Upon
looking at the individual answers, I found that
the biggest issue was in fact day-to-day living
situations. This includes household chores,
privacy/space, and working with each other’s
timetables. Following this data, few people
mentioned that a shared calendar helps with
these major problems.
Question 1:
While the largest portion of this pie chart was “I
prefer to immediately confront them” at 35.6%,
the gold nugget was in the 2nd runner up at
20.3%: Other. People who chose “Other” had to
write out their answers (provide more effort than
ticking a box), and most of the answers ended up
Question 4:
This one’s answers weren’t as surprising as the
other question’s. However, it’s still useful data.
It’s obvious most people reach out to friends to
look for aid with their relationship. This is then
followed by therapy. An interviewee mentioned
that therapy feels like a last resort and she can’t
27

afford it, so her first option is friends or family.
This data comes to show that in order to create
something helpful for my demographic, I have
to approach them in a friend-like, almost casual,
manner that differs from therapy.
So, what about the interviews?
After conducting the surveys and reviewing the
answers, I was able to personally interview a
total of 5 people. Each of these people fit my
demographic and ranged from being recently
broken up, in a short-term relationship, or in a
long-term relationship. I decided to ask them
more specific questions than my survey that
related to satisfaction, alternatives, investment,
and overall choices. These questions helped
me determine where issues may potentially lie
as well as their commitment level. Based on
each of their personal answers, I was able to find
various commonalities, despite the variety of
relationships, which verified that they might need
help managing their communication to help
strengthen their commitment even further.
Do you feel more dependent or independent
in your relationship?
The consensus was most people felt dependent
but varied with reasons why. One felt more safe
and comforted with them while another felt she
could still be independent but the balance her
partner brings makes her more dependent.
One specific interviewee said:
28
“Both are important because I think sometimes
people forget you are your own person. You don’t
need to depend on the other person all the time
through decisions and everyday life even if
they are with you most of time”
This helped me understand that allowing
yourself to be dependent can result in a higher
level of overall commitment through means of
understanding your own independency.
If your partner were to do something horrible
to the point of being a “deal breaker” for you,
how would you react (stay, leave, forgive, etc)?
4/5 people mentioned that it feels hard to
imagine their partners doing something that bad.
3/5 people said they’d likely leave their partner
but FEEL like they would end up forgiving them
and staying with them to work things out. One
participant mentioned it would be incredibly
difficult for her to leave even if it was hurting
her mental health. While forgiveness enhances
their commitment further, this can still have the
potential to create arguments or communication
issues by learning how to adapt/grow properly.
If your partner got a job offer in
another state, what would you do?
All those interviewed mentioned that they would
support their partner and likely go with them.
However, 2/5 people specifically said that they’re
willing to sacrifice starting their lives over for the
sake of their partner’s happiness.

“I would just have to work harder which I don’t
mind doing because I’ve done it all my life. I am a
person that puts people first then myself second.
If my partner is happy, I am happy”
Through sacrifice, we start to gain a better
understanding of a couple’s well-being.
When you are living together, what is it like?
How do you balance chores? Is the living
aspect an issue?
2/5 people said that sometimes either they
or their partner can get snippy with chores
especially when one has had a busy or bad day.
However, the majority have said they try to have
a balanced chore list. However, they may have
issues communicating who does what and when,
especially when apart for most of the day.
The Results
The primary research helped me understand
that because there is a large spectrum with
relationships, everyone has various answers. But
through commonalities, it’s justifiable to say that
people want an immediate solution and they feel
like most of their issues within their relationship
lie in simple, day-to-day activities.
When we dive into the specifics and reference
the figure below, we see that many of the
people that were interviewed show a high level
commitment. However, it’s in the mechanisms
portion where we can look to adjust the lives of
partnerships through better choices to help
a couple’s well-being.
Satisfaction
Level
Quality of
Alternatives
Investment
Size
Commitment
Level
Behavioral
Maintenance
Mechanisms:
Willingness
to Sacrifice;
Forgiveness
Cognitive
Maintenance
Mechanisms:
Positive Illusion;
Derogation of
Alternatives
Couple
Well-Being
29

In doing my competitor analysis, I
focused on a variety of apps that show
a clear user interface, content that
benefits the user, and any sort of couple
apps that exist through a shared space.
30

Flo
Period Tracker App
Flo is a world-renowned app that is used
by all sorts of women to track their period,
ovulation, or pregnancy.
The wonderful thing about Flo is that it
does a great job at catering to their target
audience. They have a bright, feminine color
palette that is inviting to the user. They also
make great use of soft imagery and allinclusive
illustrations!
The app makes clear through their
advertising that it’s more than a tracker appit’s
about women’s health and doing what’s
best for your personal health.
However, it was difficult for me to stay active
on the app. The information they provide is
rather difficult to reach or follow.
Pros:
• Provides a calendar to track days.
• Can customize/personalize calendar.
• Multiple preface options (pregnancy,
ovulation, and period tracking).
• Informative resources
Cons:
• Subscription based with no pairing
• Not very interactive
31

Bumble
Dating App
While Bumble is known as a dating platform
where women make the first move, it’s also
known for starting valuable connections.
Bumble has a fairly straight forward user
interface by implementing a gamification
system to help keep the user engaged.
Bumble uses location tracking to help
find people near you whether for dating
means, friend, or business opportunities. It
keeps me wanting to use it but it can result
boredom after awhile.
The app is easy to read and refreshing to
look at. Bumble uses a bright yellow and
pastel colored to bring in a young adult
audience. I think their branding is effective
in having a welcoming vibe.
Pros:
• Women friendly
• Reward and gamification system
• Personalized questions (approaches
communication in a different way)
Cons:
• On a time limit
• Constrained to current location
• Low attention span
• Excessive amounts of choice

Merge
Couple Manager App
Merge is an app that helps couples stay on
top of the small, day-to-day responsibilities.
Merge was developed to improve
communication for couples living together,
however upon closer inspection I noticed
that it’s more of a task manager rather than
actually working through issues.
Their branding is rather simple and not as
inviting as Flo is. The photos feel hokey and
not inclusive to their audience. The app feels
basic and difficult to fully understand.
However, one thing I enjoy about Merge is
that it has great organization skills through
a checklist format but fails to show a proper
schedule. It’s easy to use with my partner
and complete tasks together.
Pros:
• Communicate with your paired partner.
• Straight forward to-do list.
• Status updates, sync reminders
• Organized categories
Cons:
• No tutorial, inefficient user experience
• No customizable features
• No shared calendar space
33

How can I design an efficient system
that helps those in committed
partnerships manage their daily lives
and communication in a better way
that benefits their well-being?
34

35

The Solution.
Shared Phone App
I propose to design a phone app that
creates a shared experience between two
partners to strengthen their commitment
and overall well-being through better
communication and efficient organization.
36

Components
Phone App:
My main component will feature a phone app
where a couple pairs with each other. The app
is meant to help create efficient conversation to
minimize the daily hassle of day-to-day activities.
and potential arguments.
The app is all about strengthening a committed
partnership through better management. This
would include daily paired assessments to
help strengthen same-page communication
with weekly progress, activities and prompts
that implement gamification for strength and
progression, and finally a synced calendar space
for maintaining a balanced schedule.
Infographic:
To accompany the app, I will create an
infographic that shows weekly progression
between the two partners based on their daily
assessments. This infographic will provide vital
information that connects accordingly to the
prompts and activities.
Branding:
My brand will feature a warm and welcoming
style through neutral tones. Furthermore, I
will include soft/organic shapes and simple
illustrations to help cater to my target audience
and create a friendly, approachable app.
Advertising & marketing materials:
I will create advertising materials to help support
the phone app by creating a promotion to be
used on social media.
Animated elements:
I will animate simple illustrations and text
movement to engage my audience and support
the main component.
All together now
Each of these components will work together
to provide a user-friendly and accessible way
to create a better relationship and life dynamic
through personalization and flow. While my main
component is the 100% paired phone app, I want
to strengthen it by creating a strong infographic,
branding, and marketing. Each of these plays an
important role in my overall solution.
Something to take note of is that this app is
not meant to solve detrimental issues, be a
replacement for therapy or be solely about
marriage. These components will work together
to create a friendly, approachable app to help
strengthen a committed partnership no matter if
they’re dating or married. The branding will work
with the app to allow for a warm and welcoming
approach that is all-inclusive to any audience, no
matter the relationship status.
37

Logo mood board & exploration
Finally! A mood board that inspired my
design for my process book and of course,
my logo. In creating my mood board, I
had to ask myself what would attract my
target audience as well as what would be
acceptable to their partners.
Through my exploration, I found large
blocks of saturated color, thick serif headers
with san-serif subheaders, and warm
neutral colors. What I also love about this
mood board is the use of organic shapes
with sophisticated type. This helps create a
welcoming environment that can be fun but
also taken on a serious note.
38
And the logos on the right page?
As you can see, Co- went through quite
the process. In case you haven’t already
noticed, the name Co- stemmed from the
prefix of commitment and communication,
two important words that have been
repeated throughout this whole book. When
exploring my sketches, I wanted the logo to
be sophisticated but quirky at the same time
and to also have the two letters merge in
some way. At first I seemed near impossible
to get two letters to look right. It wasn’t
until a bunch of drafts later that a slight
tilt created a whole new story: an intimate
connection between two people.

Logo Process.
insert a tagline here
.
insert a tagline here
.
insert a tagline here
.
insert a tagline here.
Let’s Co Together
Let’s Co Together
The Together App.
39

40
The Together App.

Georgia Header
Avenir Next Demi Bold Subhead
Avenir Next Medium body copy. Lorem ipsum
dolor sit amet, consectetur iscing elit, sed do
tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, aliquip
ex ea commodo.
Finalized logo
Can you believe we’re finally here? It only
took tons of drafts and lots of fine editing.
But we made it. I finalized this logo ensuring
each curve was at perfect precision. The final
logo depicts a story of two heads touching
grounded with the tagline.
A sneak peek at branding
Taking a look at the green sidebar, I began
to establish a small brand guide to help tie
in my mood board and overall vibe.
The Together App.
Typography:
As per my mood board, I decided to stick
with the warm serif header accompanied
with a bold and readable subhead and body
copy. Why is the body copy a bit thick? It’s
important when creating an app that the text
be completely legible for accessibility.
Pattern:
Blobs are a great way to show organic flow
while also maintaining a soft mood! When
it comes to my logo, I think it’s shown best
either orange on beige or vice versa.
Colors:
To engage my audience, I created a palette
of warm, neutral colors to invoke feeling.
41

Let’s look at my main component
Beyond just figuring out what my phone
app would contain, I had to understand how
apps actually work. I spent some time going
through a variety of different apps, focusing
on my own user experience. I did my best to
truly understand the flow of each app.
Of course I couldn’t do this alone! With
some apps I decided to invite my boyfriend,
especially when a paired app was involved.
Some apps I decided to look at were
Relish, Merge, and Honeydue. While Relish
was rather... ugly to look at... it was rather
informative! I went through a massive
assessment and really enjoyed looking at
my relationship progression.
But let’s talk about my app. I created a few
beginning sketches of my app that include
color blocks, rounded/soft imagery and
buttons. I want the app to be interactive that
can be fun but also taken on a serious note.
42
Each week, there will be an insights update
but the user can still access it through the
homepage. One of the most important
things about the app is the access to
progress and prompts based on what can
be worked on. This app is meant to be 100%
paired as it should be used to enhance face
to face communication.

Initial Component Sketches.
Daily Assessment
Insights
Landing Page
Tutorial Page
Shared Calendar
43

Working Further.
Mind Mapping
In case you didn’t catch it, UI/UX is
becoming a huge part of this process.
In creating a functional app, I began
by organizing the walkthrough.
Dark Pink - Marissa | Light Pink - Ryan
Orange - Important | Green - Overlap
44

Open App
Sign Up
Login
Profile
Tutorial
Join In
In Conflict
Settings
Customize
Quiz
Open App
Prompts
Level
Re-Sync
Set Goals
Tutorial
Quiz Results
You/Partner
Insights
Quiz
Sync with
Partner
Set Goals
Insights
Insights Activities Calendar
Progress
Pop Up
Pick Insight
Sync
History
Listening
Agree
Prompts
Pick Prompt
About
Activity
Analysis
About
Activity
Analysis
Results
Progress
Results
Progress
45

Component Sketches.
Tutorial Pages
46

Activity Pages
47

Digital Drafts.
I have to admit, the design process wasn’t easy.
In creating the mind map, I had to understand
and focus on individual people within my target
couple. Doing this helped me better understand
what my app might need and had me asking,
“Well, what would help Marissa and Ryan?” As I
narrowed down my map and MVP, I soon found
better and deeper solutions.
Okay, tell me about the MVP.
As mentioned in my initial concepting (40-41),
one of the most important functions of my app
would be the activities. These activities are
specified by various prompts, based on your
initial insights from the assessment. In this case,
Ryan and Marissa decided to focus on listening.
Figure 1 and 2 showcase the various prompts
on listening located on the homepage. As we
narrow down, I had to take a step back from
design and look at researching again. Only this
time, it’s research for UX content.
So what did I research? I decided to focus on one
activity throughout my app walkthrough, which
was “Listening with Empathy”. You can see in
Figure 3, 4, and 5 the initial design for the activity.
Part of my UX research included going through
different article sites such as: Aconcious Rethink,
48
Deafeating Divorce, Happier Human, and Positive
Psychology. Each of these sites allowed me the
opportunity to look into empathetic listening
further and its impact through conversation
and activity prompts.
Let’s talk design.
In the beginning portion of my design,
I decided to focus on a simple layout with an
emphasis on color, shape, and context. The initial
design consisted of pop ups that would initiate
the activity where the user can practice as they
are learning. I found that it became increasingly
difficult and hard to fit the large amount of
content in such a small pop up. The animations
became confusing, and the whole thing just...
didn’t really work.
The important thing is that I didn’t get too far
into the process. As you’ll notice on the following
page, I decided to initiate a scroll function that
separated the content from the activity and
allowed for better user experience.
Continuing on, I start to introduce the syncing
process that initiates a face-to-face conversation
between the partners, Marissa and Ryan, another
important factor within my app design. The app
is there as a tool to aid them.

Initial Component Drafts.
Figure 1 Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4 Figure 5
49

My final interface takes the viewer
through the onboarding process
of Marissa and Ryan and their
engagement with the activity.
50
Through this process, I created
individual viewpoints for Marissa
and Ryan to showcase their overlap.

Final Main Pages.
Sign Up
Syncing
Assessment
Insights Homepage Activity
51

Two Apps in One.
Starting this process, I initially thought I would
be completing one app and presenting a demo
reel. However, in my exploration of UI/UX design,
I found that in order to create a story of two
individuals, I had to create a way to showcase
two individual apps, or people, coming together.
In this case, I took my two individuals,
Marissa and Ryan, and created their separate
experiences. These separate experiences include
the onboarding process, the assessment, and
their homepage. Each of their sign up and
assessment answers would be different based
on their views, goals, and frustrations. However,
since this app is about coming together and
creating better communication, they will have
an overlap in the activity section.
While this is really just one mobile app,
it’s still two different experiences on two
separate phones coming together.
When do they overlap?
Marissa and Ryan have an individual experience
up until they both finish the assessment. After
this, they are able to see their progress as a
partnership where they are then able to decide
on a weekly prompt together.
52
After choosing a prompt, they are then taken
to their individual homepages where they can
access different prompts, insights, “in conflict”
button, settings, and their profile. In the case
of this walkthrough, they will both work on the
“Listening with Empathy” prompt together. Each
activity allows them the opportunity to work on
themselves as individuals and then approach
their relationship together.
As they reach the point of working together in
the activity, they are prompted to have a faceto-face
conversation that works on the topic
they have chosen. In this case, it’s “Listening
with Empathy”. Once they finish, they can reflect
individual and review their thoughts later.
How am I showing the overlap?
I’ve created a walkthrough video (56-57) showing
both Marissa and Ryan’s individual experience
and when they overlap.
This walkthrough gives the viewer an opportunity
to see the importance of connecting with their
partner and the impact it brings based on each
individual. What makes my thesis unique is the
experience of two people within one video and
how they are able to communicate to strengthen
their commitment to each other.

Overlapping Screens.
Marissa’s Screen
Ryan’s Screen
53

Marissa’s Screens.
Assessment
Homepage
Setting Goals
54
Activity Syncing Main Activity Reflection

Ryan’s Screens.
Initial Syncing
Assessment
Insights
Setting Goals Main Activity Reflection
55

Finishing the App.
Creating a Video.
Finalizing the app required creating a
video to depict Marissa and Ryan’s inital
experience together.
The video has walkthrough bubbles to
help the audience understand the context
of their journey better.
56

Video Stills.
Marissa
Ryan
Overlapping Activity
57

Social Marketing is a crucial aspect
to Co- The Together App. Most of
Co-’s audience is reached through
mobile platforms such as social media.
58
They are able to access advertisements
and quizzes that will lead them to the
app store preview.

Pop Socket Marketing.
59

Poster Cards.
60

App Store Preview.
61

Project Statement.
62

Final Space Layout.
63

Thank You!
This journey has been an absolute whirlwind and
has taught me so much about communication,
relationships, and understanding personas in
a UI/UX perspective.
I’ve grown so much as a person with this project
and my idea of digital experience has deepened
more than I could have imagined. It’s a given
for a designer to design well. But there’s a new
challenge for a designer to design with empathy
and perspective. The challenge is seeing modern
day issues through another’s eyes.
Co- The Together App blossomed from my own
experiences and moved into an understanding
of patience and respect for the digital process.
Credits.
A big thank you to my family for supporting me
and my crazy ambitions.
Thank you to Lauren Cook for spending time with
me during first semester coming up with ideas
and solidifying where Co- was going.
Thank you to Mark Davis and Taylor Belmer for
helping me with the UX portion of my app. I
couldn’t have created a well-thought out and
practical app without you guys.
Thank you Lisa Roldan for being my studio
partner and helping me with all of my animations
and for dealing with my constant XD troubles.
Thank you Sara Tuzci for always being there
with me from start to finish.
Thank you to my professors and my studio mates
for the experience and always being there for
me. I especially loved you guys the most when
we would work until midnight together.
Thank you to everyone who participated in my
interviews, quizzes, and random talks that helped
me create the best possible thesis that I could.
Lastly, thank you, Alex for being there for me
and for giving me the knowledge, experience,
and everything else through our relationship.
More credits.
School: Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Professors: Nicole Hauch and Adam Setala
Mentors: Lauren Cook, Mark Davis, Taylor Belmer
Video Music: Solace by Nomyn
Happy with my work? Find more at:
www.Amanda-Levin.com
64

65

66
Senior Thesis 2019-2020