Tinder is a unique social media brand in that their product is focused on creating new experiences, rather than documenting previous ones. We wanted to create sounds that could enhance this sense of optimism and possibility, reinforcing the feeling of surprise and delight that is central to the Tinder user experience.

Having arrived at our strategy, we developed detailed briefs for each sound to execute our vision. The sound of Tinder had to be light-hearted and fun – which would be expressed through Major modalities, playful melodies, with lightly plucked instruments. We also wanted to enhance the idea of surprise and delight by focusing on quick tempos, with percussive, bright and resonant tones. And lastly our sound had to be fresh and young, which meant sounding of the moment and expressing a game-like feel – making the app feel faster and snappier.

In the end we landed on a unified suite of sounds, with a central anchor sound being the “It’s a Match” moment. The sounds are warm and tactile, emphasizing the positive, friendly nature of Tinder. These sounds are unique for their product category and help drive home the brand’s distinctive personality.

The feedback from Tinder users was overwhelmingly positive, and the new sounds were covered by press from Fast Company to Hypebeast. Our match sound has since become part of the cultural conversation and continues to be a trailblazer in the dating app world.