LDR
by Kaitlyn Keyes
The Problem
With the age of technology, we are more connected than ever. Facetime, Skype, texting, and Snapchat bridge the gap between people across the world. This is why up to 75% of college students have engaged in a long distance relationship at some point in college. However, the college environment adds a new set of challenges to any long distance relationship. Students do not have the money to travel, and they are busy navigating their newfound independence. This makes long distance in college very difficult, especially freshmen and sophomore year.
Research Question
How can design increase communication and effort in long distance relationships between undergraduate romantic partners?
Success Statement
Students in long distance relationships need a deeper method to communicate and show effort that is more than just texting. They will learn what their partner actually wants and gain the communication tools necessary to have a positive transition into a long distance relationship in college.
Target Audience
Undergraduate students in long distance relationships with a focus on underclassmen.
Research
The first step in the research process was to investigate online articles and long distance forums. Next, in order to understand how students in long distance relationships connect, I interviewed 12 individuals: upperclassmen, underclassmen, a married, couple, and a professor. I found out two things:
Relationships evolve with age and maturity
Freshmen year has more challenges and stressors
We all communicate differently, which stems from our different love languages.
From this research, I sent out an online survey and received 341 responses. Out of the these responses, 73 were underclassmen. They ranked communication and effort as the top two factors that were lacking or needed improvement in the relationship.
Design Process
Based on my research, I was tasked with creating a simple, easy-to-use website for this customizable care package service as well as the design of the package itself. The challenge was to create a brand that was gender neutral, while also young, fun, and suitable for the college audience. I stayed away from hearts and cliché patterns/colors associated with love and relationships. After many iterations, I created a simple, modern logo for LDR with a bright, complimentary color palette.
Design Solution
LDR is a customizable care package service for college students in long distance relationships. The LDR website allows students to easily send boxes filled with letters, treats, photos, and other sentiments to their partner. The process of creating an account and profile forces couples take the love language test. Love languages are the 5 ways we experience & express love. Learning another person’s primary love language can improve communication & strengthen your connection, since we often have different primary languages from our partner’s. This is why communication would be increased by educating couples about love languages and using their current methods of communication in a more meaningful and intentional way. This service makes it possible to send something a little more special than a text on a college budget, showing the effort these students are seeking.
