<div class="decode-text">
  	<div class="text-animation">R</div>
  	<div class="text-animation">a</div>
   	<div class="text-animation">n</div>
    <div class="text-animation">d</div>
    <div class="text-animation">o</div>
    <div class="text-animation">m</div>
   	<div class="text-animation">i</div>
    <div class="text-animation">z</div>
    <div class="text-animation">e</div>
    <div class="text-animation">d</div>
    <div class="space"></div>

  	<div class="text-animation">d</div>
  	<div class="text-animation">e</div>
   	<div class="text-animation">c</div>
    <div class="text-animation">o</div>
    <div class="text-animation">d</div>
    <div class="text-animation">e</div>
    <div class="space"></div>

    <div class="text-animation">e</div>
    <div class="text-animation">f</div>
    <div class="text-animation">f</div>
    <div class="text-animation">e</div>
  	<div class="text-animation">c</div>
  	<div class="text-animation">t</div>
</div>

<a id="refresh" onclick="decodeText();">
  <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path d="M17.65 6.35C16.2 4.9 14.21 4 12 4c-4.42 0-7.99 3.58-7.99 8s3.57 8 7.99 8c3.73 0 6.84-2.55 7.73-6h-2.08c-.82 2.33-3.04 4-5.65 4-3.31 0-6-2.69-6-6s2.69-6 6-6c1.66 0 3.14.69 4.22 1.78L13 11h7V4l-2.35 2.35z"/><path d="M0 0h24v24H0z" fill="none"/></svg>
</a>

.decode-text {
  width: 100%;
  font-size: 30px;
  text-align: center;
}
.space {
  display: inline-block;
  width: 10px;
}
.text-animation {
  display: inline-block;
  position: relative;
  color: transparent;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  &:before {
    content: "";
    color: black;
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    left: 50%;
    background: #0e182d;
    width: 0;
    height: 1.2em;
    -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -55%);
    -ms-transform: translate(-50%, -55%);
    transform: translate(-50%, -55%);
  }

  &.state-1 {
    &:before {
      width: 1px;
    }
  }
  &.state-2 {
    &:before {
      width: 0.9em;
    }
  }
  &.state-3 {
    color: black;
    &:before {
      width: 0;
    }
  }
}

// demo styles
#refresh {
  position: absolute;
  top: 20px;
  left: 20px;
  cursor: pointer;
}
@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Share+Tech+Mono);
div {
  font-family: "Share Tech Mono", monospace;
}
body {
  height: 100vh;
  align-items: center;
  display: flex;
}

/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *  
4 states per letter: Transparent | Line | Block | Visible.
These states are shuffled for a unique "decode" effect each time.
* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ */

function decodeText(){
    var text = document.getElementsByClassName('decode-text')[0];
    // debug with
    // console.log(text, text.children.length);

    // assign the placeholder array its places
    var state = [];
    for(var i = 0, j = text.children.length; i < j; i++ ){
        text.children[i].classList.remove('state-1','state-2','state-3');
        state[i] = i;
    }

    // shuffle the array to get new sequences each time
    var shuffled = shuffle(state);
 
    for(var i = 0, j = shuffled.length; i < j; i++ ){
        var child = text.children[shuffled[i]];
        classes = child.classList;

        // fire the first one at random times
        var state1Time = Math.round( Math.random() * (2000 - 300) ) + 50;
        if(classes.contains('text-animation')){ 
            setTimeout(firstStages.bind(null, child), state1Time);
        }
    }
}

// send the node for later .state changes
function firstStages(child){
    if( child.classList.contains('state-2') ){   
        child.classList.add('state-3');
    } else if( child.classList.contains('state-1') ){
        child.classList.add('state-2')
    } else if( !child.classList.contains('state-1') ){
        child.classList.add('state-1');
        setTimeout(secondStages.bind(null, child), 100);
    }    
}
function secondStages(child){
    if( child.classList.contains('state-1') ){
        child.classList.add('state-2')
        setTimeout(thirdStages.bind(null, child), 100);
    } 
    else if( !child.classList.contains('state-1') )
    {
        child.classList.add('state-1')
    }
}
function thirdStages(child){
    if( child.classList.contains('state-2') ){
        child.classList.add('state-3')
    }
}

function shuffle(array) {
    var currentIndex = array.length, temporaryValue, randomIndex;

    // While there remain elements to shuffle...
    while (0 !== currentIndex) {
        // Pick a remaining element...
        randomIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * currentIndex);
        currentIndex -= 1;

        // And swap it with the current element.
        temporaryValue = array[currentIndex];
        array[currentIndex] = array[randomIndex];
        array[randomIndex] = temporaryValue;
    }
    return array;
}


// Demo only stuff
decodeText();

// beware: refresh button can overlap this timer and cause state mixups
setInterval(function(){ decodeText(); }, 10000);