How to Add Gamification Into a Dating App Design

UX design is more than any other design branch is based on psychology — each user should initially understand the purpose of every single icon. Speaking about the design of dating apps, the role of psychology increases several times. The design of the dating app should turn the e-space of online dating into a comfort zone for billions of users seeking for a soulmate.

The psychology of dating apps design

The majority of dating apps have a similar user behavior algorithm, and, therefore, similar UX design logic: random user’s profile and options of liking the person or skipping it. Some dating apps offer more space for bio, some other apps pay special attention to the user's photos. In other words, the main goal of the majority of dating apps is to let one person estimate another one mostly based on the first impression of someone’s appearance. 

Such features as specifying user’s preferences, interests, hobbies etc. is present in the majority of dating apps. In some apps there’s indication of the match percentage between users based on their hobbies, preferences and interests as well. Also, there can be a kind of map, indicating how far several users are from you. Still, the main attention is focused on the person’s appearance. 

However, modern society requires other measures of selecting people — such criteria as appearance, height, weight, skin color are not crucial for a partner choice. Young generation requires another approach on personal choice — such as personality. Thus, designing a dating app of the new generation requires changing of familiar for everyone in-app design logic.  

Summing up, here’re some major goals that UX design of dating apps of new generation should be archived:

1. Highlighting personality instead of appearance;

2. Creating the comfort zone for users;

3. Supporting brand-identity (obviously);

4. Updating in-app design for significant events;

5. Making in-app design intuitive (obviously). 

Here’re some insights from XOXO team:

1. Highlighting personality instead of appearance 

Since the core issue of the dating app for the new generation is putting the users’ personality first, there should be a product strategy that motivates people to tell about themselves more and learn about other users. Still, there might be several difficulties in making users show their true personalities instead of that one they would like to show the world. One of the possible ways of resolving this issue can be a psychological approach; for instance, dividing people on their personality types. Such a feature is beneficial for several points: first, it’ll help to know potential users themselves and others better; secondly, it’s actually engaging and interest-provoking. Social research has shown that people actually love taking different personality quizzes, since they fulfill the interest of users about what they actually are. Thus, short quizzes with not-trivial questions created to define one of the personality types that are present inside the app is a good feature that helps users to meet like-minded people; and actually make them be interested in downloading the app. 

The way of focus shifting from labels, appearance and others should be supported by in-app design decisions. For instance, for each personality type a digital avatar can be developed. That should be highlighted if such features as digital avatars are implied in the app, they should respond to brand identity guidelines and, if it’s possible, represent indeed the characteristics of the personality they refer to. For instance, these digital avatars can be represented by animals or other creatures; thus, the avatars can be somehow compared to the non-existent animal test. XOXO dating app has 12 personality types and 12 totems that represent them. Each one is a mysterious creature in whose appearance metaphorically depicted some main psychological characteristics of the personality type.

2. Creating the comfort zone for users 

Dating apps are probably the most intimate and delicate type among all other apps. Searching for the match, waiting for the answer can really make any person feel nervous and awkward. The majority of dating apps have no other activity, but swiping and chatting. The problem-solving feature, however, can be actually gamification of the app. Apart from swiping and chatting, users can interact with some in-app activities. For instance, if we take in account the possibility of in-app creatures, there might be a variety of game-interactions with them. While expecting the answer from matches, there can be such options as taking care of these features: selecting its outfit, taking part in quests, exploring your own personality or personality of your matches and so much more. In order to boost self-expression possibilities, such interaction with in-app creatures might also involve outfit creation, as it was mentioned above. Such a feature follows one of the recent trends — digital fashion.

Good source of inspiration for apps that have made gamification via in-app characters is Tamagotchi which were trendy between late 90ss and early 00ss. First of all, it’s recognizable, thus, intuitive (the significant point that will be discussed a bit later). What’s more, some activities such as energy, food or fun level (classical in case of Tamagotchi) can be used to force users to interact with dating apps features. If they depend on the user in-app activity.

If a decision of adding gamification to the dating app through digital avatar based creators, it should be displayed on several screens of in-app design to support visual brand identity. For instance, besides game sections of the app, personality representors might be also seen on the dating sections — such as users profiles. That way it will highlight the idea of ‘personality first’ once again — the profile of each user will not only include general infos and photos, but totems, to give a bit more understanding of the person behind the photo. What’s more, for those users who do not feel confident about their appearance, extra digital representatives may actually bring this confidence. 

3. Supporting brand identity

Any successful brand has its own visual identity — as soon as clients or potential clients see brand colors, logo or any other design elements should evoke associations with a certain brand. Any brand has its own colors — there should be one or two major colors and several minor brand colors. (Happily, colorhexa.com provides everyone with some basic information about complementary, triadic or tetradic colors). Thus, for dating apps, brand colors can be implied into the chat interface and personal profile design. 

One more significant point: if a dating app is pretending to be a gaming app as well, it should be clearly seen in the in-app design. Without any concerns, in every segment (games, dating apps, editors etc.) there are some common signs, elements, patterns and logic — in case of UX design, that’s the issue far less about plagiarism, but tradition, that makes user intuitive understand what each icon actually means (the issue it's not about copying the icon exactly). 

Thus, adding gamification to the dating app requires both: design elements suitable for both, dating apps and gaming apps. This issue may be resolved by creating several parts of the app — chat and feed may look like something more common for dating apps (created with brand colors, for instance); but profile may be more like a game. One of the simplest examples can be rewards, that were already mentioned above, can be compared with common design of any other awards in other apps (or even smartwatches app)—thus, users will be motivated to take part in a variety of in-app activities.

4. Updating in-app design for significant events

In-app design is a tool that supports brand-identity. For the majority of brands it’s important to react to social events and, obviously, in-app design should respond to these needs. For example, during Pride Month (or a bit before its official beginning) the majority of the brands traditionally update their design in order to celebrate Pride. 

In this case in-app design should archive the following — the brand identity should still be present; however, with some Pride-inspired elements. For those apps that actually have Pride vibes all year round, that might be challenging to make it even more ‘prideful’. Still, such elements can be easily implied into some basic apps’ elements, including its gamification part.

The basis for all apps to add Pride to the design is an icon change. Usually, the Pride flag is added to the general logo of the brand. N.B. check the relevant Pride flag before redesigning the Pride icon — it’s not just a rainbow for a while! 

Ok, how to add Pride elements inside the app? Gamification of the app is actually a way to resolve this issue. For instance, as it was already mentioned before, XOXO app has totems, and a shop feature, where every user can get something for the totem. Variety of shop categories gives freedom to create special Pride dedicated items. That might be clothes, special cute food, and any other elements. 

In case if the app already has basic colors that are present in Pride Flag, it’s nor that challenging to add Pride colors into some other UX design elements — button, or button stroke, or lower menu. 

5. Making in app design intuitive 

As it was already mentioned numerous times, any UX design should chase one major goal: making the app user friendly — every single user should easily catch the idea of the majority of icons and in-app navigation. Thus, in case of adding gamification into a dating app, the interface should make it clear: how to chat, how to look for a match, how to deal with in-app activities, how to boost your profile, how to get rewards etc. Even if the gaming and dating features are supporting each other, they should be divided by the app's interface: main menu is the core in resolving this issue — user-friendly with all icons that will be used more frequently by potential user and helping easily reach all most common app features: feed with potential matches, chats folder, store, and totem profile. That’s it.