UX/UI Study on the Design Elements of Successful Dating Apps

Discovery Settings

You can find the Tinder Discovery Settings located along the side menu. Below the search parameters, there’s a menu option called “Enable Discovery,” which makes your profile visible to other Tinder members. If you want to take a break from using the app, you can turn the switch off, and your profile won’t be shown in the card stack. Several search and setting options require you to upgrade from free membership to a paid subscriptions plan:

• Control Who Sees You (Tinder Plus): See which members were most recently active on their accounts.
• Control My Visibility (Tinder Plus): You can switch to incognito mode if you are using Tinder Plus, and you’ll only be found by members you ‘like.”

Tinder Profiles

Now, let’s look at the profiles in the card stacks.

Tinder was the pioneer for swipe-style dating profiles, and it’s an excellent design that’s served them (and the industry) quite well!

Access profile suggestions by clicking on the Tinder logo in the top left-hand corner of the screen. The card stacks will appear in the middle of the screen, where you can begin looking for your ideal match.

You’ll see that member’s main profile photo, name, age, and how far away they are from your current location. There are also a ton of buttons along the bottom of the screen that allows you to interact with the profile.

Profile Appearance

In the image, you can see the profile’s appearance if you click on the small “i” icon. You can scroll down to view:

• Basic information
• Passions
• Lifestyle choices
• Other helpful facts

Instagram Integration

When you start getting toward the bottom of the profile, you’ll see that some members have integrated their Instagram photos into their Tinder profile. You can click to enlarge the image and view them right there, or you can connect directly to Instagram.

Based on what we’ve seen by testing out Tinder and using it to find matches and dates that align with our parameters, it lives up to the hype it’s gotten for the last several years. Tinder is easy to use, and the way they display their profiles is pleasing to the eye.

Editing Your Profile

Developing your Tinder profile is a super easy task. All you need to do is click on the icon with your profile photo and name.

A small red button will be at the bottom of your photo, saying how much of your profile has been completed. Click on “Edit Info,” and you can scroll down to add changes or edit current information if needed. Besides each section, there are percentages showing how complete each part of your profile is now. Ideally, you want each section to be 100% completed so your profile can be as effective as possible! 

Bumble Search Terms

Using the search filters for the free Bumble membership is simple. You can access the search options by clicking the “Filters” icon at the top of the page. We appreciate how simple Bumble made the entire process of making changes to its search terms.

Three main filtering options are available to free members, including gender, age range, and distance (based on your location). Bumble’s search filters are minimalistic, so we cannot say much more. They’re simple and to the point! We’re glad that Bumble doesn’t complicate things in that regard.

Swipe-Style Profiles

Let’s check out the Bumble profiles. They come in the “swipe-style” format like Tinder, and they allow you to get through an extensive catalog of members in a short time.

With a lot of confidence, Bumble has some super attractive profiles. They’re so good that we’d venture to say they’re even better than Tinders. They take up more of the screen, so the profile photo and basic information are much more prominent and easier to read.

Double-Paneled Photos

You get each member’s photo, name, age, and occupation on the top page. Then you can scroll down to read the rest and see additional images. Some members will have a self-authored “About Me” section on the second part of their profile, along with information like height, exercising/drinking/smoking habits, star sign, and the relationships they’re interested in finding.

Some profiles will have double-paneled photos on the lower pages, but some will have a single picture with an interesting fact on the other side. An example would be “the quickest way to my heart is…” or “perfect first date,” along with their answer. The last page of the profile will typically reveal that member’s location and hometown.

Preferences

To access OkCupid’s search filters, click on the icon with your profile photo and name, and then click on “preferences.” A question might appear for some of the search terms you set: “Is this a dealbreaker?” By keeping this setting turned on, OkCupid will filter out the profiles that don’t adhere to this criterion.

At the top, you’ll find the primary search terms: gender, age, distance, and relational goals. You can scroll down the list, though, to search using more detailed filters like appearance (height and body type), background/identity (ethnicity, religion, politics, etc.), lifestyle (eating/smoking/diet), and family (pets or kids).

OkCupid Profiles

Now let’s examine the OkCupid profiles. We’ll start by saying that they don’t look as good as the ones at Tinder or Bumble (in our humble opinion), but they are incredibly informative, more so than the primary competitors. Let’s show you what we mean by that!

One of the cool features of the swipe-style profiles at OkCupid was the compatibility score. They’re percentages that appear at the top of each profile suggestion. This lets you see how much your profile matches up with another member. We found these to be an excellent way of narrowing down which profiles are worth pursuing.

Profile Continued

Below the photos and interaction buttons are the rest of the profile. Many members will do a self-authored summary of themselves to expand upon their basic profile information. There’s even a section where members can expand upon their current relational goals to give you a better idea of what they’re looking for. 

All in all, these OkCupid profiles seemed more robust and chockful of details than Tinder or Bumble. OkCupid is intent on developing relationships around its members’ similarities regarding thoughts, beliefs, interests, or hobbies. In contrast, Tinder and Bumble are based more on simple information and looks. 

Dating Preferences (Search Filters)

All menu options using the Hinge dating app will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click on your profile photo icon and select “Dating Preferences” to change your search terms or filter settings. 

Free member search terms include gender, location, distance, age range, religious beliefs, and ethnicity. To access any other search terms, you need to become a paid member of the platform. Like many of the dating apps we’ve already reviewed, Hinge’s search terms are simple and easy to set so you can find the right match.

Swipe-Style Profiles

Once you’ve selected a member profile, you can scroll down to learn more about your match suggestion: age, occupation, location, and others. Scattered throughout the profile are additional photos and small facts/tidbits (many of which are self-authored) that help you to learn more about your match’s personality, style, or flair.

Something a little different about the Hinge profile is that there’s only a skip option at the bottom of the page. This is the “X” button, which lets you skip the profile if you’re uninterested.

Instead of one “like” button, Hinge profiles have multiple “like” buttons attached to photos and bio information. Not only can you learn which Hinge members have liked your profile, but you can discover what their favorite parts of your profile are!

What’s your Type? (Search Filters)

Click on the search filter icon at the top of the main screen to access your search terms.

Some free members can use it, but others take your search to the next level and can only be used by paying members.

Free Member Search Terms

• Age range
• Gender
• Location or distance
• Height
• Religion
• Ethnicity

Paid Member Search Terms

• Relational goals
• Level of education
• Drinking or smoking habits
• Family plans
• Kids
• Marital status
• And many more

CMB Swipe Profiles (Discover)

Because Coffee Meets Bagel is geared toward meaningful relationships and connections, the profiles generally have more bio information than photos. These profiles let you learn more about your matches beyond their looks. 

If you haven’t noticed already, the CMB profiles are composed of the search term criteria. Some profiles contain more detail than others, but that’s largely left to each member’s discretion (what they prefer to share and not share). CMB profiles are robust and well-rounded, letting you do a lot of good research on your matches before beginning a conversation.