The Intentional Designer (Version 4) - Aryan K. J.
The Intentional Designer: Version 4 - The Verified Gateway (Login & Security) 🛡️
Guided by Dhairya (My Fictional Character), The Intentional Designer
Design Focus: Strategic Friction | Trust Engineering | Competitive Security Advantage
Why I Chose This Focus
After establishing the non-negotiable Design Mandate of Trust (V2) and setting the emotional tone (V3: Onboarding), the next logical and most critical step was to engineer the Credibility Gateway. User research repeatedly cited catfishing and fake profiles as the single greatest source of emotional fatigue. Choosing a simple, low-friction login (the industry standard) would have instantly violated our core mandate. Version 4 is the necessary leap from an empathy-driven strategy to a defensible, action-driven security solution. It is the moment we prove we are building a safer product by introducing strategic friction.
What Problem I Solved (V4 Focus)
Version 4 solved the methodological challenge of converting a psychological necessity (Trust) into a functional High-Commitment User Flow. Guided by Dhairya, I solved the following strategic challenges:
| Problem Identified | Strategic Solution Introduced (V4 Deliverable) |
|---|---|
| Industry Security Plateau: Most apps stop at phone/email verification. | Mandatory Credibility Gateway: Integrated Mandatory Aadhar/National ID Verification into the Sign-up Step 4. |
| User Drop-off Risk: High friction typically kills conversion. | Strategic Friction Mapping: Designed a 5-step flow leveraging the Commitment-Consistency Principle to convert effort into perceived value. |
| Ambiguous Intent: Users' lack of purpose leads to poor match quality. | Intentionality Funnel: Made Objective Setup (Step 3) a mandatory step, filtering for serious users before they even view a profile. |
Duration (Version 4: Flow & Rationale)
∼ 3 Days Total (Self-initiated)
Day 1: Competitive Analysis of Login/Verification methods (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge) to identify the security gap.
Day 2: Drafting the Dual-Path User Flow (Returning vs. New User) and mapping the 5-step Sign-up sequence.
Day 3: Detailed Design Rationale for each step, focusing on justifying the friction and outlining the Verification Hub (Step 4).
My Design Process (V4 Focus)
This version focused on Security as a Feature, using structured analysis and psychological principles to design the flow:
Competitive Security Benchmarking: Identified that mandatory Government ID verification is the unmet need and the ultimate differentiator in the market.
Dual-Path Design: Structured the flow to prioritise speed for the validated Returning User while enforcing commitment for the unknown New User.
Psychology of Commitment: Deliberately sequenced the 5 steps—moving from low-commitment requests (Name, Photos) to the high-commitment request (Aadhar Verification) at Step 4, increasing the likelihood of completion due to the user's growing investment bias.
Outcome (V4 Deliverables)
This version solidifies the app's premium positioning and rigorous safety standards, providing an unshakeable foundation for all subsequent features. I was able to:
✅ Define a Validated Security Model built on mandatory Government ID verification, turning the biggest user pain point (fake profiles) into our core feature.
✅ Produce a clear, defensible Dual-Path User Flow (Login vs. 5-Step Sign-up) with a detailed rationale for every interaction.
✅ Establish the Strategic Advantage that justifies future monetisation: we charge for access to a community of highly vetted, committed, and authenticated users.
✅ Prepare a detailed, evidence-based strategy for the crucial next step: Version 5: Lo-Fi/Hi-Fi Wireframing of the Profile Creation Module.
08 Nov 2025
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