Ohio State students pioneer new dating app, aim to change collegiate dating game

Olivia Riley
Thu, 15 Feb 2024 02:59:01 +0000
Arts & Life, Features, Instagram Page, News, Print Edition, apps, arts & life, Buckeyes, buddy system, college dating, collegiate dating game, collegiate dating landscape, Columbus, dating apps, double-dating, DuoDate, DuoDate app, Finance, Hinge, James Abell, marketing, mit, Nick Saris, ohio state, Ohio State apps, online dating, osu, The Lantern, The Lantern Arts & Life, the lantern ohio state, Tinder

Conceptualized and designed by Ohio State students, DuoDate is a double-dating app that will launch in April. Credit: Nick Saris

Buckeyes, get ready to swoon.

DuoDate — a new dating app established by Ohio State students, for Ohio State students — is set to launch this April. Instead of the typical one-on-one dates facilitated by prominent dating apps like Hinge or Tinder, DuoDate will employ a double-dating format to encourage users’ safety and comfort, co-founder Nick Saris said.?

Saris, a second-year in finance, said the process of making DuoDate a reality began in early 2023. Inspiration struck after a family friend expressed their struggles and frustrations with one-on-one online dating experiences, he said.?

“I saw this issue that needed to be addressed, and I knew there was a solution,” Saris said.?

After that, Saris got to work. He collaborated with students from coast to coast — in a literal sense, considering the DuoDate team comprises students from MIT and the University of California, Berkeley — who could offer assistance with design, coding and other disciplines necessary for creating an app from scratch.

Once released, DuoDate will be available for free download on the App Store and Google Play. Saris said the app will cater to Ohio State students alone, although future expansion to other college campuses has been discussed.

James Abell, a fourth-year in marketing and a DuoDate brand strategist, said the app is designed to minimize intimidation factors associated with dating apps. Such factors include anxiety about meeting new people and fear of being alone with relative strangers.?

“One of the biggest problems with dating apps today is how people approach it,” Abell said. “DuoDate wants to change that by being just a little different.”

Friends can sign up in small groups of two. Subsequently, Abell said they will be matched up with other pairs by swiping left for “no” and right for “yes.” When a match is made, DuoDate teams will be automatically sorted into four-person group chats to reduce the likelihood of awkward conversations.?

Saris and Abell said DuoDate’s staff wants to combat online dating’s safety risks — such as catfishing and increased feelings of loneliness — by using the age-old “buddy system.”

“A group setting makes things way more comfortable,” Abell said. “We just want people to connect in meaningful ways, without having to worry about safety or security.”

Saris said DuoDate will also feature a system of verification checks, which involves required facial recognition and an optional background check for users.

“Really, what we’re trying to do is create a sort of blanket of security for people, in addition to giving users a unique experience,” Saris said.?

Looking forward, Abell said he hopes DuoDate can change the collegiate dating game for the better.?

“Everyone deserves to feel safe and be their authentic selves on dates,” Abell said. “That’s our end goal.”

Ohio State students can currently join DuoDate’s registration waitlist via the app’s website. More information about DuoDate can be found on the app’s Instagram page.?