New logo for Tinder by DesignStudio
Tinder is a location-based social app that facilitates communication between mutually interested users, and is most commonly used as a dating app. Tinder pulls basic information from a user’s Facebook account to create a profile, which can be built up with uploaded photos, a bio, and Instagram and Spotify feeds. Candidates who are most likely to be compatible based on geographical location, number of mutual friends, and common interests are then presented in a card stack. A user can choose, anonymously, to like someone by swiping right, or pass by swiping left. If two users like each other, it results in a “match” and they are able to chat within the app. The app is used in over 190 countries and registers more than 26 million matches per day. (Wikipedia)
A new logo was introduced as part of a refreshed user experience which includes new tap actions and a greater emphasis on photos.
Well, the name “Tinder” certainly lends itself to a dating app, signifying the beginning of a fire, the spark for a romantic relationship. In that respect, the flaming tittle (teehee) of the old logo was straight to the point, and that was totally okay. (Incidentally, the i looked like a matchstick.) The typeface chosen was rather informal, even childish, in appearance, giving the impression that the app was just a bit of fun. It was a bit cheesy, hinting that the action was about to get started like a well-timed, sexually-themed guitar riff. As for the colour, well, it was on the right part of the colour spectrum, but it just seemed a bit pale for something linked to fire.
The new logo uses the flame icon as the primary element – its shape less bottom-heavy and more rounded than before. Significantly, it now takes on a seductive orange-to-pink gradient, that, to me, conveys a stronger sense of passion and intrigue in its intense hues – appropriate for a dating app.
A new lock-up with the name also appears on the sign-in screen in the latest version of the app. It appears to use Proxima Nova, which would be consistent with the general typography of the user interface. Like the old logo, I feel that the tracking is a tad too tight here, but the proportions of the word and the icon are fine. As the lock-up doesn’t appear anywhere else, I’ve mocked up a render of how it might appear in its positive form, below.
Tinder’s new logo is latest manifestation of the ombré logo trend that was more or less ignited by Apple’s iOS 7 in 2013 and embraced by Instagram in 2016. Overall, it’s a nice update for the dating app that’s fun and attractive like the community it serves. Swipe right.