Ankit ParikH
Raro - The queer app we deserve
overview:
Raro is a queer discovery app for dating, friends and community. Its a platform that balances genuine connection + safety + community with — not just proximity and hookups. Made in Barcelona, it’s designed in Claude as a clickable prototype and currently is in testing mode.
Role: Product designer, UX-UI, Prototype and Brand
Scope: Product strategy → Research → Design → Prototype → Coded and tested
Workflow: AI-native: generated, coded, iterated daily - Claude & Figma
Platform: iOS mobile app + web - Dating discovery
→ Problem Statement
The LGBTQIA+ dating market is dominated by apps built over a decade ago,whose core mechanics have barely evolved. Built for proximity-grid hookups, not for the community, safety and genuine connection today's queer users want.. Some optimises on matching but no culture and community, rest have ads and a plans that are unaffordable to many.
→ opportunity
While most apps have focussed on “ matching” and “ hook ups ” we have given options to our users to engage in discussions and meet IRL. There’s a section made for “ Rooms and Events ” Most queer apps rank people by distance and their PRO features which show near-exact location and treat identity as a dropdown, Raro's opportunity is to make trust the product: users decide who sees them, how much, and on whose terms and within a PRO plan they can afford
→ onboarding
13 steps, welcome to “You're in.” Open fields for gender and sexuality. House rules agreed on the way in.
→ DIscover
No distance, no grid. Intent is visible before the first reply.
→ profile builder
Open fields instead of dropdowns, plus a private album you open to people you choose
→ Rooms
Small shared spaces governed by house rules agreed before entry.
→ EVents
A bridge to real life, because that’s where people say they find their people
→ Raro pro
An optional subscription for extras. 18 of 30 would pay in some form; only 3 accept ads.
→ USER Research and benchmarking
Benchmarked the category. Asked the community, Audited apps and sent a survey to 50 people.
- Top frustrations: The endless swiping, and the same number cite conversations that die instantly.
- What queers want dating or community? 1 in 3 say “it changes day to day”. About 1 in 5 want a date, and about 1 in 6 want community.
- What builds trust fastest? About 6 in 10 want a promise never to sell their data. Half want screenshot protection. About a third want selfie verification, and the same share want community-written house rules.
- What would you pay for? 18 of 30 would pay for something optional or ad-free. Only 3 accept ads.
→ insights to Design decisions
INSIGHT 1 - visibility is a spectrum
- Even among people out to almost everyone, privacy ranks first: ~6 in 10 want a promise never to sell their data, and half want screenshot protection.
– No distance shown. – Private album, opened only to people you choose.
INSIGHT 2 - intent is unclear
- One in three says what they want “changes day to day”. About a third say apps force one mode: only sex when they want friends, only dating when they want a scene.
– Intent on every hello: friend or date, visible before the first reply.
INSIGHT 3 - Community is built, not matched.
Community is built, not matched. People find their people through friends (~85%) and nights out (~60%). Apps come third. Community-written house rules are a top trust builder.
– Rooms and Events. – House rules agreed at sign-up.
→ constraints & What i am learn(ing )
How do you serve a mature audience without making the app feel unsafe? Control stays with the user: sensitive surfaces are opt-in, private by default, and backed by house rules — no racism, transphobia or fatphobia — agreed before entry. Reach for trust
- Next, test with younger and less visible users >25.
– Verification and anonymity pull in opposite directions: people want selfie verification and to stay hidden from people they know.
– Less default exposure means slower discovery. Our bet is that trust is what retains.