Hey everyone, my name is Malathi and this is the beginning of my capstone project for the Launch Your First App program.
My background is in IT. I worked as an IT consultant for many years but whilst I have a computer science degree, and enjoy coding, I have never worked in software development. It has been a dream of mine to create apps for use in daily life that are simple and enjoyable to use while solving particular problems or making tasks easier, and to present data in different and interesting ways. I’ve been learning iOS for about 4 months now.
Ultimately, my goal for learning iOS development is to acquire the skills to build my own tools on a platform I trust, share them with anyone who finds them useful, to continuously learn new things, and have fun in the process.
Thanks to CodeWithChris my journey has started and is progressing well.
I’m looking forward to updating this project log as I progress to completing my capstone project!
My selection for the LYFA capstone project app is based on the following criteria:
Simple to use (basic user interface)
Simple to build (based primarily on concepts and techniques learned in courses so far)
No networking / APIs (can be used without Internet access, not reliant on external systems)
Local database storage only
Flexible use (some aspects can be tailored to user’s specific requirements)
An app that I am personally interested in and will use regularly with family and friends
App candidate idea: Simple game scorecard
The app will track the game scores of 2 players over a series of games (such as multiple card games), will show the cumulative scores as the games progress, and will display the winner when the series concludes (as ended by the user).
MVP
Support for 2-player games.
Scorecard for a single game series (i.e. one or more games), limit not fixed.
Input is manual numeric entry.
Display cumulative score for each player.
Display winning player congratulatory message (based on setting for whether the highest score or lowest score wins).
I’ve seen similar concept apps on the App Store, but I have some design ideas that should distinguish my app from the others.
That sounds like a great project. Are you any closer to it? I have been engaged in iOS developer for more than 10 years, and I also take care of android development. Recently, I am also looking for some projects that I can do on my own, hoping to discuss together
I’ve been away from this Journal for a few weeks. Here’s a progress update:
Watched Chris’s YouTube Vlog videos on Making Money with Apps. Found them very inspiring.
I reached the stage where I should be designing my app (semi-formally) in Figma a few weeks ago, but I felt like I needed to take a slight detour first…
With a high-level concept of what the app will look like in mind, I started modelling the data in SwiftData, and added some basic code in SwiftUI/Swift to validate the feasibility of the data model. Did a refresh of a the iOS Foundations course and the App Design/Figma module within the iOS Databases course. This took a bit longer than expected, but it helped me identify some improvements and now that it is done, I can focus fully on the look and feel.
Starting with rough sketches on paper, then browsing Mobbin.com for sleek designs, I have been able to progress my design.
Currently refining the screen designs in Figma.
This will also take some time due to some distractions and family commitments.
Completed the LYFA course content (all tasks completed but not published, doing so here retrospectively)
Completed the coding of my app (early Dec 2024)
Completed the App Store listing for my app (mid-Dec 2024)
submitted the app for beta testing by family members (23 Dec 2024, no changes required)
Submitted the app for Apple review (6 Jan 2025, approved with no changes required)
The app is now live on the App Store!
Here is a summary of what I experienced:
It took more time than I expected to get the user interface in a satisfactory form. Whilst the initial design remained, it was refined and improved over time. I found it quite challenging to translate the ideas in my head into a tool like Figma. Something to work on for next time.
I underestimated the app logic involved. The scorecard concept seemed simple, but when supporting multiple scorecards, the ability to select players, support for 3 different scoring approaches, and providing the means to manage all these components - players, scores and scorecards increased the complexity of the app. I realise in hindsight that I went against the team’s advice and made it too complex.
I got a bit carried away and added basic player statistics using both text and bar chart, but I’m happy with the result.
I experienced the spectrum of great joy during the creation process, but also self-doubt and frustration. I eventually preserved to resolve all the issues I identified.
I used AI (Bing and Meta) at different times, to help with resolving issues or getting guidance on an approach.
Unfortunately, I became so focussed on the app development that I neglected the journal entries.
One “blocker” I faced was error messages in Xcode that I could not resolve alone. I reached out to the CWC team and Inaki confirmed that it was not an issue with my app. He responded quickly to allay my worries and also gave a detailed explanation so I could easily understand my confusion. This was a great comfort.
The lessons were a great support throughout the process and I learned a lot!
I’m currently enjoying a sense of accomplishment and pride in achieving this goal and appreciation of being part of this community.
