SaaS app for astrologers

Situation

The customer had the idea to create a platform, a kind of social network where astrologers and their clients could communicate with each other. The main ideas of the project:

• To enable astrologers to earn money from consultations, and those who use them-to choose the right astrologer, by rating, specialization, and so on.
• Astrologers predict the results of high-profile events (for example, elections). If the forecast turns out to be correct, the astrologer is awarded a rating, and the event is recorded in the portfolio.
• Conducting competitions among astrologers. The client specifies the date of birth, sets a monetary reward, and asks a question from the past that they know the answer to. Any astrologer can participate in the contest. In the end, the client chooses the winner.
• A person who needs advice can choose an astrologer based on other people's feedback. However, all reviews are real, since only the user who purchased the service can write a review.

Aim

We needed to create a convenient website for the astrologer to work with their clients, so that they could tell about themselves, and collect their own knowledge base.

Planing and designing 

First, we created a site map with all the sections, pages, and features. At the same time, the roles of visitors — astrologers and their clients were taken into account.

After that, we started working on the prototype. We immediately tried to detail the interface as much as possible: the main visual features and interface solutions — if we missed something, it would be difficult to make up for it at the design stage.

Also, the prototype was interactive, all the States of each page were worked out, including on behalf of the astrologer and the client — because they see the site differently.

UI/UX design

We worked on the design based on a prototype — so as not to miss anything. Separately, we came up with a splash screen on the main page (interactive 3D graphics on WebGL) and drew key pages.

Development

For chat and Express consultations to work instantly, and notifications about events on the site to arrive immediately, we used the AngularJS framework and platform Node.js. If the user is not on the site, notifications are sent to your email.

Specifically for the site, we created a database with a scheme for changing time zones and time offset. We used information from the archives as a basis. This was necessary because astrological forecasts require an exact date and place of birth, and in the past, each locality may have had different time zones, local time shifts, and daylight saving time. The database can be used separately from the site.

Another feature of the site is gamification. In your personal account, you can collect rewards for various actions: the year on the site, the best forecast technique, and the author of the month. Have also initiated internal scores — Astrobonuses. You can use them to pay for part of the service or even the entire purchase.

There is a PRO subscription for astrologers on the site. It allows you to post an unlimited number of services, communicate in a closed section on the forum, and create your own public page on a separate subdomain.

Customers can choose an astrologer and a service from the catalog on the site. The catalog includes only those astrologers who have passed online certification. All services are guaranteed the money will not be transferred to the astrologer until the client confirms that they have received a consultation.

Consultations are not only paid but also free ones that allow novice astrologers to raise their ratings and find potential clients.

The rating is also affected by the forecasts section, where astrologers predict the outcome of significant events and the reviews that customers leave after ordering the service.

Customers pay for services with a card on the site or via Yandex.Money. If you still have funds on your account balance, you can transfer them back to your card.

Results