Sparked Branding

Creating a brand for Meta's New Product Experimentation.

Online Dating Made Equitable

In the last decade, online dating has become one of the most common ways to meet new people. A lot of meaningful relationships have come out of it, but online dating does not offer everyone the same experience. Discrimination, deception, and abuse are all-too-common and certain people are at a higher risk of receiving this mistreatment. Sparked set out to make a positive change with their video speed dating app that focuses on kindness and sincerity.

“We were on a mission to create a space where people could feel comfortable to be their authentic selves, free of judgement and harassment.”

User Personas & Brand Attributes

Sparked is a product of Meta’s NPE initiative (New Product Experimentation). We partnered together to create a brand for their online speed dating app. The Sparked team did extensive research to learn about the state of online dating today. Who are the users, what are their pain points, and what do they want from these experiences? To minimize blind spots and build a more equitable experience, we conducted user interviews with a wide range of participants. We learned that popular dating apps are underserving marginalized people groups, and many users suffer traumatic, degrading, and humiliating experiences. Those most commonly mistreated are women of color, considered overweight, between the ages of 28-38 (approx). This information shaped our key user personas, which we use when making product decisions. The brand’s identity started taking shape through defined core attributes and mood board exploration. We were on a mission to create a positive space for people to feel comfortable to be their authentic selves free of judgment and harassment.

Inspiration and Early Ideation

Once we were aligned on the style and tone of the Sparked brand, we started exploring design solutions. We played with imagery that spoke to joy, relationships, diversity, technology, and romantic chemistry. We were trying balance between being fun (it is speed dating, after all) and creating a space for serious, meaningful connections. We knew the brand should have a distinct personality, but we did not want to alienate people. We had to strike the right balance.

Logo & Supporting Design System

After exploring different themes and directions, we landed on a logo design that abstractly implies an 'S' while touching on the themes of connection, screens, variety, and individuality. We created a vibrant color palette, modern typography system, and playful secondary design elements to support the brand further. We made sure to test and refine the different aspects of the brand together to create a cohesive system. We had to consider how this design language would scale to meet the brand's needs from a marketing standpoint and the digital product interface.

A Legacy of Connection Through Kindness

We are so grateful for the chance to partner with the good people at Sparked to make online dating more fun, effective, and inclusive. While the Sparked app has completed its run, the relationships created will have lasting impacts for those involved. Spark’s mission of helping people connect in meaningful ways while encouraging sincerity and kindness is an admirable and vital effort. We should all look for opportunities to spread kindness wherever we can and leave no one behind in the process.