Next Matchup isn't just an app. It's a response to one of the quietest crises of our generation, Loneliness.
We're more connected than ever. More followers, more DMs, more notifications. And somehow, more alone.
Their answer isn't another feature. It's not a better algorithm. It's simpler and more human than that. Get offline. Show up. Be in the room.
Every weekend, across 33 cities worldwide, Next Matchup puts real people in real spaces. No swiping. No profiles to overthink. Just IRL moments that actually mean something:
Romantic Meetups: A real date, in your city, this weekend.
Dinner with Strangers: The table, new faces, genuine conversation.
Not because it was a big brief. But because the product actually means something, and bad design would've done it a disservice.
Meetups with Creatives: The collab that finally happens in person.
The first thing I realised: Nobody's stopping, they scroll for information. They stop for a feeling.
I started with the icons. Crimson red, deep bronze, forest green. The colours weren't just brand choices, they were emotional cues. By the time your eyes move to the headline, the mood is already set. That's the part of design most people never notice, which is exactly how it's supposed to work.
Then the headlines. I kept killing my own lines and starting over. Too long. Too clever. Too much. The ones that made it through were the ones that said one thing clearly and trusted the reader to lean in. "Real dates, real people." Done. Move on.
The body copy took the longest, honestly. Because I wasn't just writing descriptions, I was trying to dissolve hesitation. Most people won't try something new because they're scared of the awkward, not because they're uninterested. So every line had one goal: to make showing up feel safe. We handle the setup, you show up. That sentence went through probably eight versions before it felt right.
And then consistency. Same layout. Same mark. Same energy across all three slides. Because familiarity is a form of trust, and trust is what gets the app downloaded.
Working with the Next Matchup team was one of those collaborations where the energy just made the work better. They knew what they were building and why. That kind of clarity is rare, and it shows up in the final output whether you intend it to or not. I'm proud of how these came out.
But more than the design, I'm genuinely rooting for what they're doing. Because I think we all know, somewhere, that the connection we actually want isn't on the other side of a screen.
It's in the same room.
Go download Next Matchup and find out for yourself.
Available on Google Play Store and App Store.
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