BoilerMatch

A Safer, Smarter Dating App for Purdue Students

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BoilerMatch: A Safer, Smarter Dating App for Purdue Students

Inspiration

Dating apps have become a common way for people to meet, but we noticed that many existing platforms—like Tinder and Bumble—are designed to maximize time spent on the app rather than facilitate meaningful connections. We often found ourselves endlessly swiping, spending a lot of time with few or no matches.

Additionally, as Purdue students, we wanted a dating app tailored to our campus community. However, we encountered issues like bots, fake profiles, and security concerns on mainstream apps. After researching existing alternatives, we found that past attempts at Purdue-specific dating apps had struggled with poor UI/UX and limited engagement.

This inspired us to create BoilerMatch, a dating app designed by Purdue students, for Purdue students—focusing on a clean user experience and a more meaningful way to connect with real people.

What It Does

BoilerMatch is a dating app built specifically for Purdue students. It allows users to:

  • Create a profile with basic information and interests
  • Browse potential matches using a simple and intuitive interface
  • Like profiles to find compatible connections
  • Match with other Purdue students for chatting and getting to know each other

Our goal is to streamline the dating process and make it more enjoyable by focusing on a campus-based approach, ensuring that users have a better chance of meeting in real life.

How We Built It

We structured our development process by dividing tasks into three main areas:

  • Front-end Development – Creating a sleek, user-friendly interface
  • Back-end Development – Managing authentication, profile data, and matchmaking logic
  • UI/UX Design – Ensuring the app is easy to use while maintaining a modern look

One major advantage was that we are roommates, which allowed us to communicate constantly, brainstorm new ideas, and quickly resolve problems. This close collaboration helped us refine the app and ensure everything functioned smoothly.

Technologies Used

  • Swift – For developing the iOS app
  • Python – Handling backend logic and data processing
  • VistaCreate & Other Design Tools – Used for UI/UX prototyping and branding

Challenges We Ran Into

Like any development project, we faced several challenges along the way:

  1. Merging Front-End and Back-End

    • Ensuring smooth communication between the UI and backend required troubleshooting data flow, API responses, and authentication processes.

  2. Design & Usability

    • Balancing aesthetics with functionality was tricky. We wanted the app to look great while keeping it simple and intuitive for users.

  3. Feature Prioritization

    • We had a lot of ideas for unique features but had to focus on what was essential for an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to ensure a solid foundation.

Despite these challenges, we iterated on our design and functionality, improving BoilerMatch step by step.

Accomplishments That We're Proud Of

  • Successfully building a functional prototype with core matching features
  • Creating a sleek and intuitive UI that enhances the user experience
  • Designing an app specifically for Purdue students, filling a gap in the dating app market

Seeing our vision come to life and knowing that we’re solving a real problem for Purdue students has been incredibly rewarding.

What We Learned

This project taught us a lot about:

  • UI/UX design and how crucial it is for user engagement
  • Seamless front-end and back-end integration for a smooth user experience
  • The importance of collaboration and rapid iteration to refine and improve our app

Building BoilerMatch reinforced the value of clear communication, testing, and refining our ideas based on real-world usability.

What's Next for BoilerMatch?

We’re excited about the future of BoilerMatch and have several ideas for improvements, including:

  • AI Assistant to ensure all users are Purdue students
  • Shop Feature to enhance the experience for premium users
  • Integrating MongoDB to handle user data more efficiently and enable better scalability
  • Implementing a cloud-based system for better performance, reliability, and real-time data synchronization
  • Implementing a school verification system to ensure all users are Purdue students
  • Adding a bot detection and removal system to improve security
  • Expanding profile customization options to enhance user experience
  • Refining the matching algorithm for better compatibility suggestions

Our goal is to continue iterating on BoilerMatch and launch a fully functional app that Purdue students can trust and enjoy using.

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