BuD: Meet people in the room you're already in
A no-chat, mutual-wink app for approaching strangers safely
My Role
Product design & development
Status
Built for iOS and Android; store listings prepared for launch in Essen and Oxford
Tools & Tech
The Problem
Dating apps move the interaction away from the room you are standing in. You scroll through profiles while a person you might like is ten metres away. For people who find walking up to strangers uncomfortable or unsafe, the real obstacle is not finding someone. It is not knowing whether the person across the room would welcome the approach.
The Idea
BuD removes the guesswork and keeps the meeting offline. You check in at the bar, club, gig or event you are at and see who else checked in there tonight. If you notice someone, you send a wink. They only find out if they wink back. When it is mutual, you match for one hour, leave each other a short hint (“red hat, by the DJ booth”), and go and say hi.
There is deliberately nothing else: no chat, no inbox, no feed to keep up with. The product is a nudge to start a real conversation, then it gets out of the way.
How It Works
- STEP 1
Check in
Allow location once, pick a venue within 5 km and add a few tags. Others see the venue, never your exact position.
- STEP 2
Wink
Send a wink to someone you would like to meet. The other person is told nothing unless they wink back.
- STEP 3
Match for an hour
A mutual wink opens a one-hour window with a live countdown and a short hint note, so people actually go and talk.
- STEP 4
Say hi in person
The conversation happens at the venue. When the night ends, your “tonight” disappears.
Design Decisions
Mutual-only visibility
A wink is invisible until reciprocated, which removes the fear of public rejection for both sides.
No chat, no early photos
Nobody sees your picture unless you both winked. This also removes the unwanted-message channel entirely.
A time limit as a design tool
The one-hour window and countdown turn intention into action instead of an endless match list.
Safety and control by default
Adults only (18+), block and report in two taps, Invisible mode, and in-app data export and account deletion. No ads, no tracking.
Venue, not location
Only the venue is shared, never precise coordinates. Missing venues can be added in under a minute from the app.
Where It Stands
- iOS and Android builds with English and German store listings prepared
- Native Firebase phone sign-in and a full privacy and account-deletion flow
- Launching first in Essen and Oxford