In the Spotted announcement around Euro 2024, I described two different ways to use dua: looking broadly, or discovering people whose paths crossed yours. The caption used football supporters in Germany to make that difference concrete.
This is a look back at that release. It is not a current feature guide or a claim that no other service offers something similar. What interests me here is the design question: how do you turn “someone I might want to meet” into a search a person can actually understand?
The situation behind the Spotted announcement
In one example, the person was open to people anywhere. In the other, the person had more specific preferences and wanted to see people they crossed paths with. Those are different intentions. Giving both people the same default experience would miss that difference.
A useful filter should answer a recognisable question: who am I hoping to meet, and how far am I willing to look? Adding controls is easy. Making their meaning clear takes more care. Someone should understand what changes when they select a different option.
Proximity is a starting point
Crossing paths can provide the possibility of an introduction. It does not tell you whether you share values or whether the other person wants a conversation. A product still needs room for mutual choice.
That is the practical lesson I take from this announcement: describe the human situation before describing the feature. Then ask whether the person can use it without guessing what it does. For today’s settings and availability, check the current app.