Case Study

LuvClub —
Dating on the Map.

LuvClub is a map-first dating and social discovery app built around nearby profiles, real places, and easy conversations. I designed, built, tested, and submitted the production iOS app to Apple App Review.

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Role

Founder / Mobile Developer

Platform

iOS / React Native

Status

Submitted to Apple Review

Overview

Most dating apps are built around endless swiping. LuvClub takes a different approach by making discovery feel more local and visual. Users can explore profiles around a map-based experience, view photos and profile details, like people, and start conversations.

My goal was to build a real production app, not a tutorial project. That meant handling authentication, onboarding, user profiles, location permissions, Firebase data, safety flows, TestFlight, production builds, and Apple review requirements.

What I Built

✓

Map-first discovery experience

✓

Profile onboarding and account creation

✓

Photo uploads and public profile cards

✓

Likes, messaging, and user discovery

✓

Block/report tools for user safety

✓

Production iOS build submitted to Apple App Review

Challenges Solved

Onboarding State

Fixed the app flow so completed users enter the main app instead of being sent back through onboarding.

Production Auth

Integrated Apple, Google, and email authentication for a real iOS release build.

App Store Submission

Handled screenshots, privacy labels, age rating, review notes, builds, and App Store Connect submission.

Design Process

From idea to interface

LuvClub went through multiple design iterations before landing on the final map-first experience. I explored branding, profile layouts, map discovery, messaging flows, App Store screenshots, and launch visuals to create a product that felt modern, local, and easy to understand.

Brand Direction

Built a dark, premium visual identity with LC green accents, bold typography, and a clean app-store-ready style.

Map-First UX

Designed the core experience around map discovery instead of a swipe queue, with nearby areas and local hotspots.

Profiles & Messaging

Refined profile cards, public profiles, likes, and messaging flows to feel simple, direct, and mobile-friendly.

Launch Assets

Created App Store screenshots, landing page visuals, and portfolio case study materials around one consistent brand system.

Skills Used

Design, development, and product

Design

✓

Mobile UI/UX

✓

Dark interface design

✓

Brand direction

✓

App Store screenshots

✓

Landing page visuals

Development

✓

React Native

✓

Expo

✓

Firebase Auth

✓

Firestore

✓

Maps & location

Product

✓

Feature planning

✓

User onboarding

✓

Safety & privacy flows

✓

App Review preparation

✓

Launch positioning

Demo & Screenshots

App Store screenshots showing LuvClub’s map-first discovery, profile browsing, messaging, and travel-style city exploration.

Reflection

What I Learned

Through LuvClub, I learned how to take a mobile app from concept to App Store submission, including authentication, onboarding, Firebase data modeling, location permissions, production builds, TestFlight testing, privacy requirements, age ratings, and App Review preparation.

The biggest lesson was learning how to solve real product problems instead of only building isolated features. I had to debug user flows, prepare a production build, create App Store assets, write privacy pages, and make decisions that balanced design, safety, and launch speed.