In 2014, astrology wasn't in the zeitgeist like it was today. Dating apps were emergent but soulless, and people were looking for a way to connect on a deeper level.
Astrology and metaphysical services was a growing trend in 2014, and it's still on the rise amongst millennials and Gen Z. There was massive growth potential in the market with astrology's lexicon and imagery stuck in the Age of Aquarius but massive interest growing among younger generations to learn more about themselves and other people through the lens of astrology.
Meanwhile, the massive dating app market in 2014 only had a few major players: Tinder, OkCupid, Match.com. Bumble and Hinge were just starting up, and the popular adoption of niche dating apps was on the rise.
My co-founder Aliza Kelly and I wanted to design a dating app and modern astrology brand that captured the dual purpose of creating a more purposeful, less transactional interaction of a dating app — ie no more swiping — while providing a way for astrology to feel more relatable and understandable. We designed Align to have a "constellation" of potential matches rather than an endless barrage of faces. When making their profiles, people could choose "traits" based on their astrological sign, which provided an easy and fun way to learn more about their own signs and the signs of people they were matching with. Each potential match up included a short description of the astrological compatibility of the match.
From the beginning, we wanted to create a look and feel for astrology that revamped what, in 2014, was the norm...dated language, hackneyed metaphors. Astrology websites and platforms hadn't been updated since the 90s and the branding and voice felt even more stale. We knew people were talking to their friends about astrology, and made Align a brand that spoke to our users the way they were speaking about astrology socially. We developed a slang vernacular, created memes and video content that resonated with people and allowed them to see themselves in astrology in a new way.
To launch the app, we leveraged several avenues of marketing and promotion:
Align was live for over a year in three cities: Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. Over 50,000 people downloaded the app. Thousands of people followed our social profiles on Twitter and Instagram and downloaded our weekly podcast. Unfortunately, due to uncertainty in the economy and the unfortunate timing of being about a year "ahead of our time," Align could not secure the funding to maintain operations and launch into its second iteration, which, it must be stated, would have been amazing.
Live project
