Canada's Top Dating Apps 2020

Online dating sites and apps give those looking for love a chance to see what's out there beyond the other places you meet people in the city. There are apps that bring together people with similar interests, apps designed for encounters even more casual than what Tinder delivers, and profile-heavy apps that really get into the specifics of users’ personalities. If you’ve been dating via apps, you’ve almost certainly thought about Tinder but, there’s actually a whole slew of other dating apps that may be even more useful for you.

2020’s Most Popular Dating Apps 

Match Dating

With more than 100k downloads on Google Playstore, Match Dating has been considered the most popular online dating app in Canada. Users that download this app are looking for serious or long-term relationships. 

Match Dating allows users to comment on other’s photos and they have control of who can view and like their profile. 

Features of the Match Dating app:

• Users can set preferences for their profile and choose new matches every day with the daily matches feature.

• Match Dating has the Topic feature which helps users to start a conversation with a new match. 

• Smart Filter Settings allows users to modify their settings to receive messages only from the singles that match their preferences. 

Clover

Clover dating app is very similar to Tinder and Bumble where users swipe less and date more, and it is available for Android and iOS platforms. Clover has a unique chatroom called “Mixers” that gives users a more exclusive experience. The app is available for straight, bisexual, lesbian and gay people that are looking for their perfect match.  

The dating app has a 20-questions quiz that goes beyond the basic information that a lot of other dating apps ask for. Specify whether you’re using it for friends, a hookup, or dating to make sure you find someone looking for the same. 

Features of the Clover App:

• Clover search filters allow users to narrow down their preferences to relationship intention, body type, height, ethnicity, occupation, and much more. 

• Users can choose the location and age of their future matches and also change the settings to who can view their online status and location. 

Bumble

Bumble is one of a kind online dating app, with more than 30 million users, Bumble is the place to make connections and relationships, it is considered to be a networking app. 

Features of Bumble:

• On Bumble Date, the females always initiate the conversation, and instead of collecting matches, you’re motivated to actually talk, with matches expiring after 24 hours.

• Bumble BFF was created for people who want to make new friends in a new city or expand a friend circle.

• On Bumble Bizz, users have the opportunity to create new career opportunities and find mentors to help them professionally. 

Zoosk 

Zoosk is considered to be one of the best dating apps that has a Behavioural Matchmaking system, which helps users find their perfect match.

Zoosk offers a very secure method to verify its users with a 7-second selfie video verification. Moreover, in order for users to be able to enjoy the app they need to get verified by their social media account and phone number. 

Features of the Zoosk App:

• One of the interesting things about Zoosk is that it offers the Carousel options which  easily allows users to go through other profiles that they could potentially match with. 

• Zoosk offers advanced search filters which allows users to narrow down their preferences such as age, education, sexuality, age, body, and education.  

Tinder

Tinder is the most popular dating app around single people. Tinder is well known because it has made above 30 billion matches and it reaches 26 million matches every day. 

Many have tried to create an app like Tinder with the Swipe Left and Right feature, but at the end of the day they end up getting called as “other apps like Tinder” or “Tinder-like apps”. 

Features of Tinder: 

• Tinder offers the Tinder Plus option which allows users to give unlimited likes, they can change their preferences to anywhere around the world, they can rewind to take a second look at a profile, it gives users super likes and one free boost per month. 

• Tinder Gold is another option for users, it provides more profile controls and gives users five extra super likes to give them a better chance to find their perfect match.

Lavalife

Lavalife has over 50,000 downloads on Google Playstore, it became famous for being a great app for Canadians on the go. The best feature of the app is that it allows users to have a better experience with the browsing feature that shows users profiles in the list, as well as a grid.

One of the most unique features of Lavalife is the “In Common”, which gives users the opportunity to see exactly what made other profiles like them. 

Features of Lavalife:

• LavaLounge is of the features that allows users to find local matches and interesting people around them. 

• Instant Messaging. 

• Users can check who viewed their profile and make new connections with them.

• Users can also “Favourite” the matches that they like the most to check on them later.

OkCupid

The classic dating site, OK Cupid’s app puts more thought into your matches than much of the average competition, with more attention paid to the profile. It requires a little more work on your part, but you will learn more about your matches with this app than most others.

OkCupid is an app that provides a different experience when it comes to messaging to give users the chance of having a deeper and more thoughtful conversation. The online requirement is that users answer a few unique questions so the matchmaker app can easily connect them with the perfect match. 

Features of OkCupid:

• OkCupid is a free app that gives users the chance to see who liked their profile without having to like them back.

• It allows users to have access to exclusive features that the app offers. 

Hoop Dating App 

Hoop Dating App has already had 500k downloads on Google Play. It is connected to Snapchat, which allows users to connect with their friends on Snapchat. The app has the same features as the other apps which gives users the opportunity to download their own images and go through profiles and they can either accept or reject them. 

Hoop Dating App is very serious when it comes to privacy of its users, it doesn’t reveal the Snapchat usernames unless they are mutual friends on the app. 

Features of the Hoop Dating App: 

• The app allows users to earn diamonds by participating in a reward program, all they have to do is complete certain daily tasks such as using the app regularly, making new connections, sharing profiles and other activities. The diamonds give users access to exclusive features.

• The users have the option to accept or decline requests from others profiles. This feature ensures full users safety. 

If you are interested in learning more or want to create your own app, contact us today! 

Best Takeaways from the 5 Monkeys' Experiment

You must be thinking: what on earth is the five monkeys’ experiment? I thought the five monkeys just jumped on a bed until they all fell off. However, that is not the analogy in the software world. 

Imagine: you, a researcher, put five monkeys into a cage, and there’s a bunch of bananas dangling from a string but are only accessible by a ladder. When monkey number one tries to go for the bananas, the researcher then sprays all five of them with freezing water for five minutes.

After a while, the second monkey then attempts to grab a banana, but inevitably does not succeed because the researcher sprays them again, this time only with cold water. When the third monkey attempts, the other four swarm the ladder because they are afraid of more retribution. The researcher then begins replacing each monkey one at a time with a new one that was not involved with the water experiment.

In short, the new monkeys learn quickly not to go for temptation, especially if it's bananas. If the researcher hypothesized asking the monkeys why they refrained from going for the bananas, the answer would be “because that’s the way it’s always been done”.

Now, what can we take away from the five monkeys’ experiment?

There has been discussion if the five monkeys’ experiment even actually occurred. Even just as an analogy, there’s a lot that business owners and CEOs can learn. A major take away from the experiment is that it explains a lot about persuasiveness of traditions within an organization.

Traditions are a common factor in every organization, especially if the bulk of the workforce has been around for a while. With that being said, sometimes those tried and true traditions can often be destructive to the progress in the workplace. This is especially the case when new employees are introduced and aren’t allowed to express new ideas. 

If businesses only ever focus on doing a project the way it’s always been done, because “that’s how it’s done”, more often than not, organizations will be blinded without knowing the new ways they can get the “banana”, also known as the end goal. 

Consequently, the five monkeys’ experiment demonstrates 3 important lessons that we need to always be thinking about:

1. To change perspective on an idea and the way we look at things in general

2. To question things that seem off

3. To limit the use of the phrase “we’ve always done it this way” to avoid trying new ways of doing something

In short, if we want the “banana”, sometimes we need to work a little harder for it by coming up with creative ways to strive or even letting new employees try new techniques.

You Want to Avoid the Five Monkeys’ Experiment “Syndrome”:

There is certainly no hiding the idea of digital and cloud transformation growing so rapidly, forcing the way employees communicate while working with one another.

This means that having a “we’ve always done it this way” mindset will no longer be a viable method on how to operate your organization.

Here are 2 crucial questions to take into consideration:

1. Does your organization’s culture encourage open dialogue and collaboration?

In this era, it is important that you take the time to integrate open dialogue and collaboration within your workplace. This is because it helps with keeping your employees interested in continuing to work with you.

Collaboration is a huge part of the workforce today – it is not only encouraged by employees it is demanded!

We use Cloud-based programs such as Office 365, Skype for Business, Workplace by Facebook, and others. When we use these programs it gives us the opportunity to show our employees the value of their input as well as the face that we are open to accepting additional options or opinions. This is a completely opposite spectrum to the five monkeys’ experiment.

2. Does your organization reward and recognize innovative thinkers?

We don’t want to look like robot employees, we want to be able to engage with our employees, and we can do this by rewarding and encouraging them.

To help do this while avoiding the five monkeys’ syndrome, we must encourage our employees to look for new techniques to reach the “banana”. In the process of this we can recognize the employees who come up with new ideas, or even if they fail.

In this circumstance, failure is not a negative, failure is something that everyone can learn from. Just ask Elon Musk.

Do you think your organization is stuck in a Five Monkeys’ Experiment?

The lessons learned from the five monkeys’ experiment are understandable and we need to stop pushing away our creativity with cold water. We need to make it possible for every employee to express themselves and take risks. As well as accepting the failure that may come.

Creating and promoting a better, more innovative workplace one day at a time.

If you’re looking to break through from your very own Five Monkeys’ Experiment, then reach out and talk to one of our experts here at ISU Corp!

Functional Specification Document: What Is It?

Steps To Take When Building Your App

A Functional Specification Document (FSD) is a document constructed to provide an outline of how a web application, mobile app or software system operates. A comprehensive step-by-step overview of the functionality and flow of each item is provided in the document. An FSD is essentially a manual or blueprint where you’ll gain a better insight on how something will function, and the expected actions and behaviour of that apparatus. It’ll help you create a product users will love.

After the initial wireframe and quoting stage of the development process, a FSD is designed to map out the basic features and functionality. It is also created for the correct user flow for various user roles. This includes the administrator, logged in user and anonymous user.

A good FSD confirms that the production team, design team, QA team, and project managers all know exactly how the project should work. This is an important step in determining that all stakeholders involved in the creation of the software are on the same page and the end result is an application that works the way the customer intends.

Who Writes an FSD?

FSD’s designed at the beginning of each project are a joint collaboration between the UI/UX design team and the production team. The rationale for this is multi-fold:  

• The development lead brings in the initial project specifications and calculates the details of each element and the hours needed to create it.

• To offer a visual representation of the characteristics and user flow, the UI/UX team constructs the initial wireframes and clickable mock-ups.

• The functionality and features of the proposed data must comply and match with the approved designs. The development lead will assess and examine this thoroughly.

• The completion or approval of the FSD is when the document is delivered to the client.

• After client feedback and confirmation, as indicated in the document, milestone dates are assigned to each leg of development.

What Goes in an FSD?

To offer a consolidated expectation of the project flow and features organizations combine functional specifications while using cases and user stories as examples.

• “System shall” statements are a great way to produce a clear requirements document. Functional requirements and specifications outline the capabilities and features. For instance, “The system shall permit individuals to register and create a profile” or “The system shall have options to report. Administrators can then export those reports” as notable examples.

• Use Cases are a set of measures to provide a 'play-by-play' in the order of action. An example being: "User logs in and is redirected to the pricing tab, where they are prompted to choose from three drop-down menus containing: "

Combining the data and information provides an overall snapshot of the project and a step-by-step walkthrough, making the project simple to accomplish, detailed and clearly planned out.

Additions & Changes

When the document is given to the client, it is then the responsibility of the client to:

1. Review

2. Ask questions where necessary or appropriate, and make amendments

3. Sign off

This required process ensures that the design and development team are on the same page as the client, confirming that requirements will be completely fulfilled and that the correct functionality (as anticipated during the quotation process) will be created.

Matching the practical needs and wants of a client with the functionality, usability, and logic of the design and development teams is ultimately the goal of the FSD. In order to achieve milestones that work as planned and are carried out on schedule, the functional specification document helps to keep each software project on track.

Interested in learning more? Contact us today.