Tarotica
A modern tarot experience built from idea to production.
Tarotica is a digital tarot reading product designed to deliver an intuitive, immersive experience for users seeking tarot card interpretations. Built independently from user concept and UI design to full-stack implementation and cloud infrastructure.
The Problem
Many online tarot applications suffer from cluttered interfaces, intrusive ads, slow response times, and disjointed reading experiences that detract from user engagement.
The Solution
Developed a clean, focused single-page application with responsive interactive card spreads, curated interpretation logic, and a performant Node.js backend managing user sessions and history.
Client SPA communicating over REST APIs with a Node.js/Express service backed by MongoDB for persistent user records, running within a containerized Linux environment on DigitalOcean.
Interactive Card Spreads
Dynamic card shuffle, selection, and layout rendering with smooth transition effects.
Structured Reading Analysis
Algorithmic interpretation mapping based on card combinations and positions.
Session & History Management
Persistent storage of past spreads and user reflection journals.
Optimized Mobile First UI
Touch-friendly gestures and responsive layouts tailored for mobile viewports.
CHALLENGE:State Management Across Spread Steps
Approach: Structured a predictable client-side state machine ensuring consistent transition across shuffle, draw, and reveal phases.
CHALLENGE:Low Latency Asset Delivery
Approach: Optimized graphic assets and implemented CDN caching for instant card deck rendering.
Hosted on a DigitalOcean Linux droplet with Nginx reverse proxy, automated SSL via Let's Encrypt, and systemd service daemon.
Successfully launched at tarotica.me, serving active users with zero downtime and sub-second page interaction times.
Technologies Used
Personal Contribution
- ↳Conceptualized and designed the complete product UI/UX
- ↳Implemented the frontend with React and responsive CSS
- ↳Built the backend API and MongoDB schema architecture
- ↳Configured production deployment on DigitalOcean