With WildscapeMuse now live, I wanted to share the technical architecture that powers the platform. This system supports everything from garden design tools to community forums, all built with scalability and user experience in mind.
System Architecture Overview
Key Components
Frontend: React application hosted on AWS Amplify with responsive design for desktop and mobile users.
Authentication: AWS Cognito handles user management, registration, and secure access control across all platform features.
Backend API: Django REST Framework running on AWS EC2, providing robust RESTful endpoints for all application data.
Database: PostgreSQL on AWS RDS stores user gardens, plant data, nursery information, and community content.
Community Forum: Discourse instance on dedicated EC2 with custom SSL configuration and WildscapeMuse branding (shared authentication integration planned).
File Storage: AWS S3 for static assets, plant images, and user-generated content with CloudFront CDN distribution.
CI/CD Pipeline: Automated deployment using AWS CodeDeploy for seamless updates and rollbacks.
Infrastructure as Code: CloudFormation templates manage all AWS resources for consistent, reproducible deployments.
Architecture Highlights
Scalable Infrastructure: Built on AWS with auto-scaling capabilities and load balancing ready for growth.
Security First: Cognito integration ensures secure user data handling with proper access controls for garden privacy.
Mobile Optimized: Responsive design with mobile-specific UX patterns, including bottom sheets and touch-friendly interfaces.
Community Integration: Discourse forum with custom branding and SSL, shared authentication integration in development.
Regional Focus: Architecture supports region-specific features while maintaining flexibility for future expansion.
Development Lessons
Building WildscapeMuse taught me the importance of:
- Planning for mobile from day one
- Implementing proper user data privacy controls
- Balancing feature richness with performance
- Creating clear separation between beta and production-ready features
The result is a robust platform that’s already helping Western Washington gardeners create thriving native plant ecosystems, with the technical foundation to grow alongside our community.
WildscapeMuse is live at wildscapemuse.com. Ready to start your native plant journey?