---
id: dating-okcupid-design-en
service: OkCupid
website: https://www.okcupid.com
category: dating
document: DESIGN.MD
source_prompt: dating-okcupid-representative-en
language: en
generated: 2026-07-18
---

# OkCupid DESIGN.MD

> Use this DESIGN.MD as the persistent design standard before building a Dating site or app. It can be given directly to designers, frontend engineers, AI builders, and coding agents. OkCupid is an information-architecture reference only.

## Purpose

- OkCupid: https://www.okcupid.com
- Dating: safe discovery and meaningful connection
- profiles, matches, and conversations
- privacy, consent, fraud, and user safety
- dating

## Design brief

Create an original product that supports safe discovery and meaningful connection. Make profiles, matches, and conversations easy to scan, compare, and act on. Treat privacy, consent, fraud, and user safety as a primary design constraint. Starting direction: discovery and comparison flow · friendly and warm · low information density · preferences -> profile cards -> match action -> safe conversation · #FF4F64 · OkCupid.

## Public interface design analysis

- Reference basis: These are recurring visual and structural patterns from public landing screens and representative task flows. Verify the current live capture because services change over time.
- Interface archetype: discovery and comparison flow
- Tone and manner: friendly and warm
- Information density: low
- Color strategy: restrained brand accents on neutral surfaces (#FF4F64)
- Navigation model: mobile-first bottom navigation
- Structural sequence: preferences -> profile cards -> match action -> safe conversation
- Reusable patterns: profile card, match action, safety menu, conversation history, preference filter
- Independent application rule: Use the order and decision principles only. Do not reproduce logos, copy, imagery, icons, or proprietary screen composition.

## Screen architecture

- Global navigation with clear current location and account state
- Overview that exposes the next important action for profiles, matches, and conversations
- Search, filter, sort, or segmented views only where they reduce decision cost
- Detail view that keeps context, status, evidence, and the primary action together
- Persistent help, recovery, privacy, and safety access for privacy, consent, fraud, and user safety

## Design tokens

```css
:root {
  --color-primary: #FF4F64;
  --color-ink: #17201D;
  --color-canvas: #F6F8F7;
  --color-surface: #FFFFFF;
  --color-tint: #FF4F6422;
  --color-danger: #DC2626;
  --radius-control: 6px;
  --radius-card: 8px;
  --space-1: 4px; --space-2: 8px; --space-3: 12px;
  --space-4: 16px; --space-6: 24px; --space-8: 32px;
  --content-reading: 720px;
  --content-wide: 1280px;
}
```

## Component specifications

- Navigation: active, hover, focus, disabled, and collapsed states
- Cards and rows: stable dimensions, realistic content, metadata hierarchy, and complete click targets
- Forms: labels, descriptions, validation, error summary, progress, and recovery
- Actions: one clear primary action per region; icon buttons require accessible names and tooltips
- Feedback: inline status, toast, banner, skeleton, progress, confirmation, and destructive-action dialog

## State design

For every data-driven region, define loading, empty, partial-data, stale, error, offline, permission-denied, disabled, saving, and success states. Keep layout dimensions stable so state changes do not shift surrounding content.

## Responsive rules

- 360px: one primary column, no horizontal page scroll, 44px touch targets
- 768px: preserve context with two panes only when each pane remains readable
- 1280px and above: constrain reading width and use extra space for comparison or persistent context
- Never scale type with viewport width; wrap long labels and localize for text expansion

## Accessibility requirements

- Semantic landmarks and heading order
- Complete keyboard operation with visible focus
- WCAG AA contrast in all states
- Programmatic labels, descriptions, errors, and live regions
- 200% zoom, reduced motion, forced colors, and screen-reader verification

## Design instruction for AI builders

```text
Design an original Dating interface for [Product name]. Its goal is safe discovery and meaningful connection; its core objects are profiles, matches, and conversations; its critical risk is privacy, consent, fraud, and user safety. Use the token system and screen rules in this document. Specify realistic content, component contracts, all data states, responsive behavior, accessibility, and acceptance criteria. Do not copy OkCupid's logo, proprietary copy, images, or exact layout.
```

## Completion checklist

- [ ] The critical path for safe discovery and meaningful connection is obvious without explanation
- [ ] profiles, matches, and conversations have clear hierarchy, status, and actions
- [ ] privacy, consent, fraud, and user safety has prevention and recovery
- [ ] Mobile, tablet, desktop, keyboard, screen reader, zoom, and reduced motion are verified
- [ ] Loading, empty, error, offline, partial, permission, and success states are complete
- [ ] No protected brand asset or pixel-level layout from OkCupid is reproduced