wakuwaku [communication theory]
[01] Communication theory in the field of design
A brand is not a monologue delivered by a corporation, but a dialogue sustained with its community.
Its true identity is shaped in the ongoing exchange of signals and responses, actively forming the continual, shared conversation that defines it.
In a world of limitless alternatives, competitive advantage does not come from being the loudest, but from being the most recognizable and relevant. Consequently, this perspective treats the design of a brand as the careful construction of a communicative system — a structured yet living dialogue between a brand and its audience.
Form, color, typography, and tone of voice are not merely aesthetic decisions; they are the non-verbal syntax of this dialogue. They create rhythm and establish trust on a sensory level long before rational arguments are processed.
To demonstrate this principle in practice, this project shows an approach that applies communication theory to brand design and product strategy, ensuring the final entity is clearly understood.
Specifically, the analysis focuses on how the socio-psychological and semiotic traditions of communication provide a framework for understanding and designing a music-based dating app called WAKUWAKU.
The core question is how to design a dating platform that creates authentic human connection in the digital age?
Communication is defined as a «systemic process in which individuals interact with each other through symbols to create and interpret meanings». — Communication Theory Course
Traditional dating apps start with a stimulus-response loop based on appearance. People see a photo [stimulus] and swipe right if attracted [response]. But this stimulus doesn’t actually predict relationship success. Physical attraction doesn’t correlate strongly with compatibility.
WAKUWAKU reframes the dating problem: what if the first stimulus was shared values [music taste] instead of appearance? The socio-psychological tradition predicts that this would generate a different, more authentic behavioral response: «This person values what I value. I want to talk to them».
Based on this concept, this project aims to reveal how the core ideas and beliefs of an imaginary brand can be presented through the conscious application of communication theory.
[02] Presentation for a general audience
When it comes to dating, you’re drowning in options: endless swiping, questionnaire matching, or just quick, meaningless conversations. It doesn’t matter if you want to find love, a new friendship, or just a fun way to pass the time — you still want an app that actually works for you.
We won’t brag about being the only solution — we’ll let you decide for yourself by giving you WAKUWAKU as an option.
Clip from app explainer video [WAKUWAKU]
So, What Makes WAKUWAKU Different From Other Dating Apps?
Usually dating apps are full of communication noise that leaves users exhausted with Swipe Fatigue.
We all know the struggle. You have a match, but then the stiff small talk begins. What if… the awkward silence was replaced by a shared favorite song?
WAKUWAKU doesn’t just give you a swipe; it gives you a soundtrack for your relationship.
App design [WAKUWAKU]
WAKUWAKU lets you build a profile based on your music tastes — your favorite artists, genres, and playlists. It’s easier to chat up a match when you know you have something resonant in common.
Open the app and connect with people whose tastes align with yours, ensuring your first conversation is about something genuinely exciting, not the weather.
Shuffle Your Tunes and Dates
Sometimes, the best connection is the one you didn’t expect. With the Shuffle feature, WAKUWAKU creates instant, random matches based on shared musical tastes. Just select your favorite genres and let the app surprise you.
It’s the fastest, most exciting way to discover a new connection and put your compatibility to the test, all powered by your favorite soundtrack.
Because at its core, WAKUWAKU isn’t just about matching faces; it’s about matching frequencies.
Your Shared Soundtrack, Live On Stage
But why just bond over a playlist when you can sing along side-by-side? With integrated event search and ticket purchasing, planning a first date or a fifth outing becomes effortless.
Transform your digital match into a shared, unforgettable experience with WAKUWAKU.
Musical concert tickets [WAKUWAKU]
Wear Your Vibe, Deepen Your Bond
And when the concert ends, the connection continues. Browse and buy official merchandise for artists you both love directly through your shared connection. Matching T-shirt or a gifted audio cassette becomes a physical memory of your shared identity, a private joke, a feeling made tangible.
It turns a fleeting chat into a lasting, personal narrative you build together.
Merchandise: T-shirts, socks, totes bags, audio tapes, pins [WAKUWAKU]
WAKUWAKU isn’t simply another app to swipe; it’s the place to connect and create. We don’t match digital profiles; we match real personalities, passions, shared experiences, and future memories.
Download WAKUWAKU today, and find your true love in the rhythm of your favorite songs.
[03] Presentation for a professional audience
Brand Visual Language
The WAKUWAKU visual language is the product of deliberate and strategic design choices, wherein nothing is accidental. Every color, graphic element and 2D/3D asset is made to communicate the core purpose of the brand: bridging the digital connection with music passion.
The logo employs the Dela Gothic One grotesque font. This bold, assertive, and stylized typeface conveys modernity and confidence, standing out effectively against the predominantly dark background.
Logo animation [WAKUWAKU]
WAKUWAKU Color Semiotics:
[1] Folly [#FF0F47]
— passion, romance, emotional connection[2] Carrot Orange [#F49D37]
— energy, optimism, playfulness[3] Neon Blue [#666AFF]
— creativity, uniqueness, innovationThe palette is intentionally vibrant and high-contrast. This choice ensures immediate visibility and alignment with a youthful, high-energy entertainment sector.
Complementing this energetic aesthetic, the Rubik’s Cube serves as a central metaphor of the brand visual language.
The Rubik’s Cube represents:
[1] Puzzle-solving — finding your perfect match
[2] Multiple perspectives — many facets of personality
[3] Interactive engagement — turning and twisting to discover
Wakuwaku-cube [WAKUWAKU]
Application Across Media: Posters
Posters exhibit versatility in format, including both A4 and taller, lengthy dimensions. They consistently combine the 2D and 3D asset approach, demonstrating scalability and brand cohesion across different physical marketing channels. The compelling mix of 2D graphic elements and 3D rendered assets [e.g., a Rubik’s cube, guitar, headphones, cassette tape, microphone, etc.] creates visual depth and emphasizes the brand’s identity as the link between the digital [2D] and real-world [3D] experience.
Advertising materials feature genre tags [e.g., rock and roll, jazz, lo-fi] presented as distinct, colored, and often oval or rounded elements. This reinforces the core mechanism of the app [matching by music] and adds a functional, organized layer to the visual chaos.
Different poster designs [WAKUWAKU]
Application Across Media: Digital Media
The website maintains the high-contrast layout. Assets are often arranged in a dynamic, scattered, and almost chaotic composition, which conveys spontaneity and the surprise element of dating journey.
The advertisement promo video [app explainer] utilizes dynamic motion design transitions and stylistic choices to translate the brand’s vibrant energy into a moving experience, effectively demonstrating app functionality while maintaining aesthetic continuity.
Website design [WAKUWAKU]
Clips from App Explainer Video [WAKUWAKU]
[04] Communication theory usage explanation
Rather than developing a dating app concept and then forcing theory onto it, WAKUWAKU is built from communication theory — each design choice, each brand decision flows directly from theoretical concepts studied in the Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice course.
The lectures introduced Robert Craig’s framework identifying seven major traditions in communication theory that offer a different lens for understanding communication.
As a dating app that is based on interpersonal communication through symbols [music taste], WAKUWAKU works within both the Socio-Psychological and Semiotic frameworks. Through conscious application of these theoretical lenses, WAKUWAKU addresses the core problem plaguing existing platforms: awkward, inauthentic initial interactions.
«Socio-psychological traditions see communication as interpersonal interaction. It lies under this umbrella of behavioral approach, focusing on stimuli and reaction… It’s all about expression, interaction, and influence». — Communication Theory Course
Socio-Psychological Lens Insight
The course materials emphasized that interpersonal communication is fundamentally about how people respond to stimuli and how their responses can be predicted.
Change of the stimulus [from appearance to shared values] leads to a corresponding change in behavioral response. This insight directly grounded the music-based matching approach: music taste functions as a stimulus that elicits psychological reactions qualitatively different from those triggered by physical appearance.
Semiotic tradition speaks about «signs and symbols as communication seen as sharing meaning through system of signs… Representation and transmission of the meaning is always given through the signs and symbols». — Communication Theory Course
Semiotic Lens Insight
Music taste in WAKUWAKU functions as an existing symbol system that already communicates identity and values. When someone lists Radiohead as their favorite artist, that’s a symbol which signifies:
— appreciation for genre; — values around artistic integrity; — taste in lyrics; — emotional sophistication.
Users don’t consciously decode these meanings, but they interpret them instantly through cultural knowledge. Therefore, the brand does not need to invent how to represent identity — music does this work for it. WAKUWAKU leverages pre-existing cultural symbols.
Instead of treating WAKUWAKU as just another dating app, the design was built around one key question: does this solution cover the five core functions of interpersonal communication [IPC] theory?
Meaningful connections support psychological well-being whereas awkward interactions create anxiety and reduce happiness.
WAKUWAKU’s decision in the field of IPC is to use music matching as conversation starter to decrease awkwardness and initial anxiety. This is justified by IPC research showing that reducing communication barriers improves emotional health.
Also, by facilitating real-time shared listening the brand creates a synchronized emotional experience that accelerates relationship development beyond what text-based matching offers.
As for identity needs, WAKUWAKU allows users to express their authentic music taste without filtering.
Spiritual Needs can be fulfilled by positioning music taste as worldview expression. Music preference communicates moral values, cultural priorities, and meaning-making systems.
Last but not least — Instrumental Needs. Dating app users have the instrumental goal of finding compatible partners. Music matching is used as an efficient filter for actual compatibility. Algorithms are designed to predict relationship success through values alignment, not surface characteristics.
Beyond mentioned traditions, the design of WAKUWAKU is further substantiated by Social Media theories.
The Concept of Networked Individualism
Music taste serves as the connective node within networked individualism. As users progress through life stages and evolve their values, their musical preferences shift correspondingly, enabling them to reorganize their relational networks through the platform.
WAKUWAKU facilitates this dynamic network formation by using cultural interests [music] as the organizing principle — allowing users to locate and connect with others whose networks align with their current needs and identity.
Social Presence Concept
The «live-listening» feature serves as a mechanism to artificially elevate social presence within a digital environment. While traditional dating app interaction is asynchronous and text-based [low presence], synchronous music listening creates a shared temporal experience.
Listening to music at the same time acts as a non-verbal signal of connection and creates a feeling of «being together» with the other person. This shared experience softens the digital barrier and reduces the distance between physical separation and emotional closeness.
[05] Conclusion
Current research analyzing the WAKUWAKU brand’s strategy demonstrates the power of using communication theory as a foundational design tool. The brand’s core strategy shifts the focus from appearance to shared musical identity, thereby implementing a theoretical framework designed to foster genuine interaction. This same framework then drives its overall product strategy from a coherent perspective.
Ultimately, this project illustrates that a brand’s strategic power lies not in its declared identity, but in the intentional, theory-driven design of the very system in which that identity becomes meaningful.
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Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice // Smart LMS [сайт]. URL: https://edu.hse.ru/course/view.php?id=133853 (дата обращения: 12.12.2025).
Craig R. T. Communication theory as a field // Communication theory. 1999. Т. 9. № 2. С. 119-161.
Griffeth R. W., Vecchio R. P., Logan J. W. Equity theory and interpersonal attraction // Journal of applied psychology. 1989. Т. 74. № 3. С. 394.
wakuwaku // Студенческое портфолио [сайт]. URL: https://portfolio.hse.ru/Project/177419 (дата обращения: 13.12.2025).
