DuMeet

DuMeet allows students to browse profiles, match with others and instantly get contact details (Instagram & phone number) to arrange meetups. Ideal for making new friends within the Durham community.

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DuMeet - Social app for Durham University Students

A meeting app designed for Durham University students to connect with each other based on shared interests, languages, and availability.

Overview

DuMeet allows students to browse profiles, match with others, and instantly access contact details (Instagram & phone number) to arrange meetups. Perfect for making new friends or finding potential dates within the Durham community.

Key Features

  • Student ID Card Design: Profile cards styled like university ID cards with photos, bios, interests, and languages
  • Availability Status: Green/red indicator showing if someone is available to meet tonight
  • Smart Matching: Instant access to matched users' contact details
  • Multi-language Support: View the languages each student speaks
  • Country Flags: See where students are from with flag icons
  • Quick Navigation: Discover, Profile, and Matches tabs

Problem-Solution Fit

The Problem

Durham University has 18,000+ students from diverse backgrounds, yet many struggle to find peers who share their interests, languages, or availability. Existing platforms (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge) aren't designed for university communities—they're optimised for broader dating and lack context-specific information like college affiliation, course, or real-time availability. Students waste time swiping on people outside their community or in different life stages, leading to poor conversion rates and missed connections.

Our Solution

DuMeet is purpose-built for Durham students. By focusing on college, course, and availability, we eliminate noise and create genuine connection opportunities. The student ID card design immediately signals shared context (Durham affiliation), whilst interests and languages help students find authentic matches beyond surface-level attraction. The "available tonight" indicator solves the biggest friction point: knowing whether someone's actually free to meet now.

Target Customer

  • International students looking to build friendships beyond their home country social circles
  • First-year undergraduates arriving at Durham without established social networks
  • Course-based friend groups seeking to expand into other disciplines
  • Students wanting casual meetups (drinks, study sessions, exploring Durham) rather than traditional dating
  • Niche interest communities (chess players, rock climbers, entrepreneurs) who want to find peers quickly

Tech Stack

  • Frontend: Next.js, React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
  • Image Hosting: Flagcdn.com (country flags), Unsplash (demo photos)
  • Local Photos: Support for custom student photos via /public/images/

How to Use

1. Discover Tab (Default View)

  • Browse student profiles one at a time
  • Each card shows:
    • Photo (left)
    • Name, age, course, college, country flag
    • Bio
    • Interests (large tags)
    • Languages spoken
    • Availability indicator (top right: green = available, red = not available)
  • Next button: Skip to the next profile
  • Message button: Like the profile (50% chance of matching in demo)

2. Profile Tab

  • View your own profile information
  • Shows: Name, College, Instagram handle, Phone number

3. Matches Tab

  • View all successful matches
  • See matched users' full details including contact information
  • Click Instagram handle or phone number to reach out

4. Logout

  • Click the "Logout" button to exit (shows confirmation alert)

Demo Data

The app includes 7 sample student profiles:

  1. Emma (21, Engineering, USA) - Photography & climbing enthusiast
  2. Sophie (19, Mathematics, Canada) - Board game & art lover
  3. James (20, Mathematics, UK) - Chess & fantasy football fan
  4. Carrie (23, Management, China) - Entrepreneurship & politics focused
  5. Azeem (18, Maths, India) - Enjoys eating and sleeping
  6. Athena (19, Maths & Physics, Hong Kong) - Skiing & café enthusiast
  7. Jesse (17, Purrology, UK) - A very special cat 🐱

Product Roadmap

Phase 1: MVP (Completed - Hackathon)

  • [x] Student ID card UI
  • [x] Profile browsing & swiping
  • [x] Instant matching with contact export
  • [x] College, course, and availability filtering
  • [x] Interest and language tags

Phase 2: Core Platform (Months 1-2)

  • [ ] User authentication (Durham email verification)
  • [ ] Real database (e.g. PostgreSQL) for persistent profiles
  • [ ] User profile creation & editing
  • [ ] Enhanced matching algorithm based on interests/languages
  • [ ] In-app messaging feature (MVP)

Phase 3: Community Features (Months 2-3)

  • [ ] Group meetup creation ("Looking for climbing buddies")
  • [ ] Interest-based communities/clubs discovery
  • [ ] Real-time availability updates
  • [ ] Verified student badge system
  • [ ] Event calendar integration

Phase 4: Monetisation & Scale (Months 3-6)

  • [ ] Premium features (enhanced search, priority visibility)
  • [ ] Society partnership for exclusive events
  • [ ] Analytics dashboard for university marketing teams
  • [ ] Expansion to other UK universities
  • [ ] Mobile app (iOS/Android)

Phase 5: Long-term Vision (6+ months)

  • [ ] AI-powered recommendations beyond interests
  • [ ] Virtual meetup integration (Zoom, Discord)
  • [ ] Alumni network integration
  • [ ] Study group matching
  • [ ] Campus safety features (verified profiles, public profiles)

Notes for Judges

  • This is a proof-of-concept MVP built in 4 hours
  • Matching logic is randomised (50% chance) for demo purposes
  • Data is stored in component state (resets on page refresh)
  • No backend database; suitable for rapid prototyping
  • Fully responsive design on desktop (mobile view not optimised for hackathon)

Future Enhancements

  • Real backend with user authentication
  • Persistent database for profiles and matches
  • Actual matching algorithm based on interests/languages
  • Messaging feature between matched users
  • Location-based filtering
  • Profile creation/editing interface
  • Mobile app version

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