Duet: Love Letters for the Digital Age

Duet, a charming messaging app by Crush + Lovely, may have something special up its sleeve. The app hopes to bring the romance back to one-on-one communication, serving as a starting point for doing things with the people you love.

How it works: Download the app and propose a Duet by filling in the blank on the phrase “Let’s…___.” You can only propose a Duet to one person at a time, and only if that person’s phone number is stored in your device. In case your invitee doesn’t have the app installed yet, your proposals are automatically sent via SMS. Nathan Heleine, Duet’s founder explains:

This is a case where the limitation constitutes a feature. We assume you don’t need another app or website to meet people and find old friends. You already have great people in your life. We just want to help remind you to do more things with the people you love most, and then capture the resulting moments and conversations for you in ways that will last.

The app itself is clean and intuitive, with a particularly quick setup process. Pick a person, propose something, introduce yourself and send it over. Your proposal sparks a conversation, which leads to getting off your phone and spending time together.

The most special aspect of Duet is what happens as you use it. Going against the grain of traditional messaging, your Duets grow into a list of dreams, goals or desires as a couple.

Over time, Duet becomes a private lockbox and collaborative journal highlighting your closest relationships and experiences. We’re focused on longevity of content, so Duet’s feature set will evolve to provide richer nostalgic value on a variety of screens and devices. We also have plans for physical companion products that will allow people to port their content into real-world keepsakes. Duet aims to be your bedside drawer or shoebox full of letters – your scrapbook for the digital age.

On a more personal note, this app is something I really could have used throughout my long-distance relationship (it’s now a short-distance relationship). And as you’ll see in the beautiful video below, Duet is also great for anyone you’re close to: friends, family, etc.

➤ Duet