Case study
Matcha
Real-time dating platform built for a 42/1337 school project
A full dating platform built end-to-end for the 42/1337 school curriculum: profile browsing with match scoring, tag-based search filters, and a real-time chat and notification layer — the same feature set a production dating app needs, built entirely from scratch with no starter kit.
The problem: 42/1337's brief demands a complete dating app — auth, profile matching, real-time chat, notifications — built from raw building blocks, with nothing off-the-shelf to lean on.
The solution: A React frontend talking to a Node/Express + PostgreSQL API, with Socket.IO wiring live chat, likes, and notifications so matches feel instant instead of page-refresh.
The landing page sets the tone immediately: a dating platform built as a technical exercise, not a real service, with a clear 'Get a test account' path so anyone can try it in seconds.
Browse runs on real filters — age range, fame rating, location, shared tags — not just a swipe deck, and the layout holds up identically on mobile without losing any of it.
Every profile carries fame rating, orientation, bio, and interest tags, with like/block/report always one click away — while the notifications panel pushes new likes, visits, and messages in real time.
Mobile gets the same hero and copy as desktop, plus a dark mode toggle built into the nav bar — one more piece of a production-grade feature set inside a school project.
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