The latest articles on Forem by Saf One (@saf_one_08819a3f4e78f5900). https://forem.com/saf_one_08819a3f4e78f5900 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3904840%2F30efb0ef-1e16-400a-8599-e1ce12fdd065.png https://forem.com/saf_one_08819a3f4e78f5900 en Saf One Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:11:05 +0000 https://forem.com/saf_one_08819a3f4e78f5900/4k-users-and-2-in-the-app-store-food-drink-43h6 https://forem.com/saf_one_08819a3f4e78f5900/4k-users-and-2-in-the-app-store-food-drink-43h6 <p>4 months ago I challenged myself: can a designer build a real product from scratch — concept, design, development, and App Store release — 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 — thinking about what should we eat today, tomorrow, etc.?</p> <p>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 — maybe I can build a simple app just for personal use? No expectations, just start building.</p> <p>I used Cursor IDE and mostly Claude to write every line of code, but every product decision — scope, UX flows, prototypes, designs, priorities — was mine.</p> <p>Here's what I learned:</p> <p>→ Strategy before execution. Time spent on research and planning saves weeks down the road.</p> <p>→ Scope is everything. Decide what the MVP is and protect it. Features will tempt you — resist.</p> <p>→ Document your logic. When working with AI, detailed documentation of how features should work is what keeps the output consistent and on track.</p> <p>→ Set clear boundaries for AI. Define the scope of each task explicitly — otherwise it will "help" you with things you didn't ask for.</p> <p>→ Build a design system early. Define your styles — typography, colors, spacing — and reuse them everywhere. Consistency is not a nice-to-have, it's the foundation.</p> <p>→ Componentize aggressively. If something repeats more than twice, it's a component. No exceptions.</p> <p>→ Test before you ship. Not once. Thoroughly.</p> <p>Is it a success story yet? No. But 3K users and a #2 App Store ranking in 4 months — built solo as a designer — feels like a strong start, at least for me. But most important for me – I am so happy that my app solves real pain points for people and this priceless.</p> <p>I believe designers who understand AI and product thinking will define the next wave of product roles. More to come.</p> <p><a href="//foodsplans.com">foodsplans.com</a></p> ai ios showdev sideprojects