A Contemporary and Responsive Application
To help BARE, we polished and updated their app to create an application that will enhance their user experience. It's sleek, modern, and has an easy to use interface that the previous Cordova app couldn't quite live up to. With their new app, BARE Dating can grow their user numbers and increase app downloads, spreading their body-confident dating ideology.
Revised Interactive Sign-Up
The sign-up process can be tricky for users of a dating app, and if they become too nervous or don't enjoy the process, they may drop out. We revised the sign-up to make it more engaging and guide users through the journey. It's interactive, user-friendly, and fun to use, which is ideal for their target market.
Re-Designed Profile and Chat Messaging Screen
We also re-designed the profile page on the app and the chat messaging screen. We changed the design to make them neater and easier to navigate. They're optimised for the user experience and create a pleasant application for people looking to date. We also added an optional user-friendly tutorial for new sign-ups, helping them make the most of the app and prevent loss of users.
Subscription-Based Payment System
We created a subscription-based payment system for users. For a dating app, subscription payments are often more appealing to users who might not be sure whether they'll find success. It allows them to make a few small payments to try the app out without the commitment. We ensured the payment system was secure and could connect with various banks and payment options.
A New BARE Love Feature
Dating is all about making a move, but it can be daunting. That's why we created the BARE Love feature so that making the first move much easier. Users can easier send a BARE smile or BARE wink to another user when they see their profile. It's easy to do and helps users who might not know what to say reach out to someone they're interested in.
Algorithms to Choose the Right Profiles
Swiping through an endless list of profiles can be dull and offputting. We developed an algorithm to filter out unsuitable matches and show users people they'd be interested in. The algorithm considers a variety of factors, including the information the user inputted about themselves and their behaviour on the app.
Edit How Much of Their Profile Users See
Privacy is vital when dating, and BARE take that seriously. Two approaches they take are accepting chat invites rather than being bombarded with messages and being able to control how much of their profile they'd like to display. Rather than displaying every piece of information they put into the app, it works in an opt-in style.
Verification of Ages and Unsolicited Pictures
Another issue we wanted to deal with is users putting incorrect ages into the app. We integrated the app with Yoti to assist in verifying users' ages, helping all users trust the ages of others. In an era of catfishing, this makes the app more secure and helps keep users safe and in the know. We also integrated Google Safe Search API to assist in picture verification and reduce unsolicited images on the app.
Back-end Admin Access
Admins of the app can control certain aspects through the back-end. They can view, filter, and edit app variables. These include users, subscriptions, discounts, value benefits, locations and more. It gives them a level of control over their app, allowing them to edit and update with ease.
The Technology Stack
To create the app's back-end, we used PHP framework YII2, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. We used our reliable MySQL for the database and updated the old app using React Native (based on JavaScript).
