OkCupid is taking online dating to the next level – with a mobile app, that is.
The company launched Crazy Blind Date, a mobile app, which is exactly what the title suggestions.
“People will say that Crazy Blind Date is too crazy,” Sam Yagan, co-founder of OkCupid, said in a statement. “But for a whole generation of young singles, it’s going to be a great adventure, and a great complement to traditional online dating.
The way Crazy Blind Date works is straightforward. Once a user downloads the app on an iPhone or Android, he/she can choose which nights of the week they want to go on dates and pick their favorite bar or coffee shop. The mobile app does the rest of the work.
The app uses math to find compatible dates and sends confirmation to both parties. After the date, Crazy Blind Date prompts both users for feedback.
“One of the best parts of Crazy Blind Date will be following along with our users’ experiences; after all, even a bad date can be a great story,” Yagan said.
Yes, a bad date can no doubt be an excellent story. The idea of a ‘crazy’ date can make New Yorkers hesitant to use the app.
New Yorker resident Irina Gonzalez has been using OkCupid on-and-off since 2007. She said one of the reasons she chose to use OkCupid, rather than other dating sites such as eHarmony or Match.com, because of its lengthy questionnaire.
“Whether I message someone or they message me, I spend a good amount of time reading their answers,” she said. “I like to see if we have any common interests or if there are any red flags that go up.”
Gonzalez said reading through a potential date’s OkCupid profile is a sort of screening process to see whether she will mesh with someone, and therefore doesn’t think she will be using Crazy Blind Date.
“I haven’t heard great success stories about blind dates,” she said. “Part of chemistry is personality, but I do believe looks matter, not in a vain way but you want to be attracted to the person you’re dating.”
While blind dates might not be her cup of tea, Gonzalez said she recognizes the appeal of the app.
“There’s a mysterious element of a blind date,” she said. “OkCupid is just trying to make dating more fun.”
Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant
