4 months ago I challenged myself: can a designer build a real product from scratch ā concept, design, development, and App Store release ā using AI as a co-pilot? Turns out, yes. But before that, I was facing a real problem that was so annoying for me and my wife personally ā thinking about what should we eat today, tomorrow, etc.?
I built a simple spreadsheet to plan our meals. It wasn't super convenient, but it did its job. And after a week I started to think ā maybe I can build a simple app just for personal use? No expectations, just start building.
I used Cursor IDE and mostly Claude to write every line of code, but every product decision ā scope, UX flows, prototypes, designs, priorities ā was mine.
Here's what I learned:
ā Strategy before execution. Time spent on research and planning saves weeks down the road.
ā Scope is everything. Decide what the MVP is and protect it. Features will tempt you ā resist.
ā Document your logic. When working with AI, detailed documentation of how features should work is what keeps the output consistent and on track.
ā Set clear boundaries for AI. Define the scope of each task explicitly ā otherwise it will "help" you with things you didn't ask for.
ā Build a design system early. Define your styles ā typography, colors, spacing ā and reuse them everywhere. Consistency is not a nice-to-have, it's the foundation.
ā Componentize aggressively. If something repeats more than twice, it's a component. No exceptions.
ā Test before you ship. Not once. Thoroughly.
Is it a success story yet? No. But 3K users and a #2 App Store ranking in 4 months ā built solo as a designer ā feels like a strong start, at least for me. But most important for me ā I am so happy that my app solves real pain points for people and this priceless.
I believe designers who understand AI and product thinking will define the next wave of product roles. More to come.
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