Landing Page & Guest Browsing

Overview

The Landing Page and Guest Browsing features work together to provide a low-friction onboarding experience. New visitors see an informative splash page explaining Lantern's value proposition, then can browse venues without creating an account.

Strategy

Key Decision: Allow users to browse places WITHOUT requiring sign-up first.

Rationale:

• "Try before you buy" reduces friction
• Users see real value (venues, active lanterns) before committing
• Builds trust through transparency
• Reduces abandonment in signup flow

Landing Page

Purpose

Explain what Lantern is, how it works, and why it's safe before users engage with the app.

Sections

1. Hero

   • Tagline: "Meet people at real places, naturally."
   • Value proposition: No profiles, no photos, no swiping
   • CTAs: Browse Places (primary), Create Account (secondary), Sign In (tertiary)

2. How Lantern Works (3 steps)

   • Choose a Place: Browse venues near you
   • Light Your Lantern: Signal availability anonymously
   • Meet Naturally: Wave to connect, meet in person

3. Why Lantern is Different (4 differentiators)

   • Privacy First: Zero-knowledge encryption
   • Choose When to Reveal: Anonymous until you decide
   • Real Places Only: No fake locations
   • Presence Over Profiles: Being there > looking good

4. Final CTA

   • Reinforces browse/signup options

5. Footer

   • Copyright, Privacy/Terms/Safety links

Guest Browsing

Purpose

Allow unauthenticated users to explore venues and see what Lantern offers before creating an account.

Features

What Guests Can Do:

• View nearby venues
• See venue details
• Browse categories
• Search for venues
• See active lantern counts

What Guests Cannot Do:

• Light lanterns
• Wave to users
• Send/receive messages

Implementation

See full documentation in /docs/features/landing/LANDING_AND_GUEST_BROWSING.md

Files Changed

• src/screens/landing/LandingPage.jsx - New landing page
• src/App.jsx - Routing logic
• src/components/dashboard/HomeView.jsx - Guest banner
• src/screens/dashboard/Dashboard.jsx - isGuest prop
• src/screens/dashboard/PlacesScreen.jsx - Pass through prop

Testing

• Landing page displays on first visit
• Guest banner shows when unauthenticated
• Auth gates work (can't light/wave without account)
• Dismissals persist in localStorage