UX Design · Interaction Design

Giving back,
swiped right

A platform connecting tech-savvy users with charitable organizations via a swipe-based interaction model — adapted from dating apps to make giving feel native and effortless.

TypeUX Design
Duration5 months
TeamCollaborative
ToolsFigma, Miro
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01 — Overview

The Challenge

How do you adapt the addictive usability of swipe-based apps to charitable giving without losing ethical grounding? Make it feel native — not like a chore. That was the core design challenge of CharitySwipe.

⚠ Challenge
Persuasive mechanics from dating apps can feel manipulative in a charitable context
✓ Goal
Make giving feel as natural as swiping — without exploiting the user's goodwill
02 — Design

Five core screens

A Figma-designed platform with five core screens, each built for engagement and ease.

🔍
Explore Page
Discovery-first landing that surfaces organizations matching user interests.
Discovery UX
🔎
Search
Filtered search for specific causes, organizations, or locations.
Information Architecture
🏛️
Organization List + Profile
Browse orgs, tap into detailed profiles with mission, impact data, and donate/volunteer CTAs.
Content Design
👤
User Profile
Personal giving history, saved orgs, and preferences.
Personalization
👆
Swipe Interaction
The core mechanic — swipe right to save/support, left to skip. Familiar, fast, low friction.
Interaction Design
03 — The Ethics Question

Where design meets responsibility

Tension
Persuasion vs manipulation
Dating apps optimize for addiction. Charity apps should optimize for intention. Where's the line?
Tension
Swipe fatigue
If users swipe through 50 orgs in a minute, are they actually choosing? Design must encourage deliberation.
Tension
Gamification boundaries
Streaks, badges, and points can cheapen the act of giving. We chose meaning over metrics.
Tension
Trust signals
Users need to trust that their engagement leads to real impact. Transparency in org profiles was non-negotiable.
04 — Reflection

Lessons from five months of ethical design

CharitySwipe was a 5-month collaborative project that forced the team to think deeply about the ethics of persuasive design.

"The hardest part wasn't making it feel like a dating app. It was making sure it didn't feel like one in the wrong ways."
— Andre Espinoza
⚖️
Ethics as design constraint
When persuasive mechanics meet charitable giving, ethics isn't optional — it's the primary design constraint
🤝
Collaboration over 5 months
Remote collaboration requires explicit design decisions, shared frameworks, and patience
🔄
Familiar ≠ appropriate
Just because a pattern works in one context doesn't mean it translates. Every interaction needs re-evaluation.

Want to discuss ethical UX?

Let's talk about designing persuasive experiences that respect the user.

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