What shipping my first iOS app taught me

I am a designer who mostly lived on the web. Shipping an iOS app on my own was humbling in the best way.

Platform conventions are a gift

Share sheets, haptics and system sheets already carry years of user expectation. Leaning on them made the app feel native long before it felt finished.

Small details cost real time

A list that animates nicely when items are added took me longer than the whole import flow. It was worth it. People notice the feel before they notice the features.

Next time I would set up TestFlight on day one. Real feedback from three friends beat a month of my own assumptions.