Building a Blind Dating App from Scratch
Dating is a chore that can feel a lot like work. You invest a ton of effort in finding a potential match, chatting with them online, and meeting them in person only for things to quickly fall apart. Maybe they weren't what you expected. Maybe there was no chemistry. Or maybe the digital experience was wildly different from the one you two had in the flesh. Not to mention the curse of choice: there are so many potential partners out there that you may have a hard time even thinking of how to start.
Blind8 was built with that in mind. Blind8 is dating app that allows you to meet new people in your area without preconceived expectations. The three main features of the site are:
1) No photos of yourself are allowed. You can upload any (appropriate) photo that showcases your personality, but nothing that is (or resembles) you in any fashion.
2) See someone you like but not sure how to start a conversation? Simply give them a "poke" and Blind8 will randomly select a show-stopping icebreaker that's sure to get their attention and get the ball rolling. Say goodbye to the "hey", "hi", "hey", "what's up?" cycle of doom.
3) When you join Blind8, you are only allowed to interact with 8 people at a time. This may be the most extreme feature of the app, at least when compared to other dating apps on the market. Instead of endless scrolling and swiping on faces, you're instead put in a "room" with 8 people. You have to match or un-match with them in order to get another option.
(Want to watch a live demonstration of the application? Check it out here! Continue reading below for an explanation of how it works behind the scenes.)
Here's a walk through of how the app works.
From left to right, we have our homepage announcing the basic rules of this dating "game", along with an option to make a new account or sign in. If it's the users first time, they will be able to make their profile and include details such as user name, sexual preference, first date ideas, interests, zodiac, etc.
Afterwards, users are able to see their 8 choices for potential dates. Simply click on their profile to see all their details.
Very few people are actually good at starting a stimulating conversation online. When you push the "poke" feature on someone's profile, Blind8 will send them a random question from which an exciting and stimulating conversation can grow into a potential real world date.
Areas of Improvement
Blind8 is up and running however there are still several areas of improvment we plan to upgrade in the coming months. These include, but are not limited to:
Image detection software that's able to identify and prohibit a photo of a real person. Additionally, an option to select from many pre-designed profile photos should the user with not to search for one on their own.
Messaging countdown system whereby only a certain number of messages is allowed before you decide whether or not you want to meet with the person. This would be done in order to avoid endless conversations and encourage a real life meetup.
An unmatching feature where you are able to remove someone you've already spoken to from your deck of 8 and replace them with a new random profile.
Check out our code base on our GitHub -> Blind8
Blind8 is a dating app built with a team of four using Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, Cloudinary, Devise, and Javascript. Includes user authentication, profile creation, and messaging features. Built as the final capstone project for Le Wagon in collaboration with Murjana Younis (founder & creator), Fisola Adesuyi, and Jeyhun Afandiyev