A quest to restore true friendships in the tide of new millennium virtual connections.
Platforms
Mobile
Mobile
Product Strategy, Branding, Visual Design, Marketing Assets
With an overwhelming number of dating apps available, Hinge set out to redefine how people connect. Unlike other apps that emphasize swiping and gamification, Hinge focuses on fostering genuine, meaningful conversations. The app prioritizes quality over quantity, encouraging users to form real connections rather than engage in superficial interactions.
To start designing an app that would be unique, we first had to analyze some competitive information. This research focused on some of the most used dating applications such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge; from the urge to find a partner to matching or not.
This analysis revealed several key insights: Users are often overwhelmed by a large pool of potential matches, which leads to superficial interactions. Most dating apps rely on algorithmic pairings, which often result in shallow connections. Additionally, fake profiles raise security concerns, making it difficult for users to form genuine connections.
With the fast-growing role of technology in contemporary society, people have fewer and fewer chances to meet other individuals without knowing them personally, let alone the young generation. Hinge tried to deal with that by promoting meetings in real life, in the range of physical contact. The concept was to create opportunities for users to meet in real-life scenarios at the gym, beach, supermarket, or sporting event transforming chance encounters into meaningful connections.
Conceptually, Hinge mimics the act of exchanging phone numbers on paper, encouraging users to carry their conversations into the real world. The core idea of the app is to give users confidence that each interaction has the potential to lead to romance.
A major concern with the Hinge concept was ensuring user safety, particularly emphasizing physical interactions. To address this, we implemented several features to ensure users could engage comfortably and safely.
One key feature is the ‘Safe Zone,’ which allows users to designate areas like home or work where they prefer not to be contacted. We also introduced a ‘privacy delay’ feature, allowing users to instantly pause interactions within proximity. This proactive approach addresses potential safety concerns and ensures a secure user experience.
In the development of Hinge, we had to consider the new generation and their trends in taste and preference. Our design thinking went beyond aesthetics; we included working with colors and shapes that have a psychological effect on the platform’s appearance.
For Hinge, we chose a minimal dark theme to create an exclusive, safe, and elegant appearance that sets it apart from other dating apps. The color black was chosen to provide a classy edge and touches of blue and purple were incorporated to instill confidence, dependability, and the concept of loyalty. The gently rounded corners of the home screen layout create a friendly and welcoming user experience.
When using genuine online dating apps, Hinge distinguishes itself by fostering real-life connections, rather than reducing users to participants in a shallow swipe-based system. Our design focused on creating a platform that is visually appealing, safe, and user-friendly. Hinge’s design integrated safety features and addressed market trends and user expectations, establishing a trusted platform where genuine connections can flourish.
Hinge’s goal is to use technology to promote meaningful interactions, helping users move beyond the digital surface and build connections in the real world.
