One in five Gen Z adults identifies as LGBTQ+ according to Gallup. While reports claim there are over 1,500 dating apps and websites around the world, there has been little to no innovation in this space for queer men in more than a decade.

Through our research with members of the queer community, we found that male, queer, Gen Z and millennial dating app users still feel something is missing from the apps they use. The way this demographic seeks out relationships is fluid, but while dating apps help find casual fun or romantic relationships, social media apps proved better for building connections and finding friendships. They’re still waiting for an app to allow them to show up authentically themselves, romantically and platonically.

Inward reflection, outward partnership

Archer, the new social-first dating app, took a different approach to build its app that caters to the needs of gay, bisexual and queer men. Our parent company, Match Group, realized the online market was lacking in apps that bridged the dating and social worlds for these groups. Before deciding on the app’s name or even honing in on app features, the team behind Archer first reflected on our own dating app highs and lows, how queer men’s experiences and relationships, and society at large, have evolved. We collectively thought about how we can better serve the future generations through this platform.

These insights sparked the idea of establishing a group of community advocates, which included the appointment of local New York City-based queer men who provided counsel on the app’s interface, user experience and features to deliver an authentic and unique experience to fellow gay, bisexual and queer men. Meetings with this group—and partners including ASTRSK PR, GLAAD, BMF and Target10—served as a watering hole filled with honest, thought-provoking conversations and anecdotes about the unique dating experiences of the community.

Pivoting product

In early development discussions, we made a case for building a totally unique app completely from scratch, particularly from a UX perspective. Instead of using the repeated features that many apps catering to this group have adopted over the past decade, the team experimented with a layout that wouldn’t solely focus on finding “the one” but instead blur the lines between community building, dating and networking for an interconnected experience. The design and functionality of the app was developed internally, but hours of interviews and feedback from the audience it intended to serve reinforced that we were solving many consumer needs that we initially defined.

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