Although many of our participants saw dating apps as on a spectrum between those focused on hookups and those more oriented towards long-term relationships, it was clear that this did not strictly correlate to their usage of each app. In addition, many people join dating apps unaware of their cultures, for example, many of our participants joined Grindr seeking peers to befriend and were overwhelmed by how sexualised its culture can be. Together, these factors mean that the design of dating apps should consider how to support a wide variation in the expectations people will have when using them. In doing so, their design should help people communicate their expectations, and make these clear to those they are interacting with.
Allow people to signal what they're looking for with specific people
What people are looking for can vary depending on who they're interacting with. As a result, there should be a way to vary what they are shown as looking for. The mockup on the right shows a way that this could be implemented.
This affordance proved popular with participants, for example, someone said: "I quite like this feature in that, I mean, the intent of Grindr is to find people quickly, whether you're dating or hooking up, it's trying to get to a connection as quick as possible. And I feel like this helps you get there. It's not a tap, it's not a vague emoji. It's "I'm looking for this, this and this with you.'"
Make clear what people are looking for where it is obvious
People often don't read bios, or remember what people have said they are looking for. As a result, their preferences ought to be displayed in the chat where it is harder to miss. The mockup on the right shows how this could be done — the preferences of the other person are displayed alongside their details (see the top line where it indicates the other person is looking for "Hookups & Friends").
As one participant described: "I also like that it's— there's a flag at the top. So, depending— regardless of how many conversations you've had, you're reminded constantly based on a specific prompt that they've input into the system, what they're looking for. So you might not have messaged them for a month or two, and you instantly know what they're looking for. I think that's beneficial."
Allow people to signal what they're looking for in the moment
Most dating apps only let people say what they're looking for on their profile but don't give any options to adjust this in the moment. However, there are many situational factors that can affect this, for example, someone might be travelling and while they are usually looking for a long-term relationship, this doesn't make sense while away. As a result, there should be a way to signal what one is looking for in the moment separately to their main profile.