Recitation: Homework Planning App
AUGUST 2023 - PRESENT
SWIFT, CloudKit, NoSQL, version control, CI/CD
Recitation is an app that I developed out of frustration with the homework planning options that were available to me. I wanted an app that was customizable and could help me keep track of all my assignments, so I created Recitation.
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Recitation was released on the app store in October of 2023. Since then, I've accumulated over 5,000 monthly active users and received fantastic feedback from students who appreciate its flexibility and ease of use. Recitation allows users to tailor their homework planning experience, helping them stay organized and manage their workload more effectively. It's been incredibly rewarding to see the app resonate with so many people, and I'm constantly working on updates and improvements based on user input to make it even better.
User-Centric UI/UX Design
When designing Recitation, my primary goal was to create a tool that felt intuitive and adaptable for students juggling complex schedules. I crafted the interface to ensure that users could organize their tasks efficiently without being overwhelmed by cluttered layouts or unnecessary features. Visual elements, such as task priority indicators and a statistics dashboard, were carefully designed to provide clarity and actionable insights at a glance. By conducting user testing and gathering feedback, I refined the design to better suit the needs of my audience. The result is an app that helps users stay organized while simplifying the often stressful process of managing assignments.
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App Architecture: Leveraging MVVM for Scalability
Recitation’s foundation is built on the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) architectural pattern. This structure was chosen to separate the user interface from business logic, ensuring a codebase that is both maintainable and scalable. The benefits of MVVM became clear as I began implementing updates—adding new features and improving existing ones without affecting the app's core functionality. This approach has not only enabled Recitation to adapt as its user base grows but also set the stage for efficient collaboration in future projects.
Feedback-Driven Development
Recitation thrives on its ability to evolve based on user input. From the beginning, I actively sought feedback from students to better understand their needs and frustrations with existing homework planning tools. By prioritizing commonly requested features and addressing user pain points, I was able to deliver an app that truly resonates with its audience. Whether it’s refining the shortcuts feature or enhancing the task statistics dashboard, every update is informed by the experiences of real users. This iterative process has made Recitation more than just a tool—it’s a community-driven solution to a shared problem.
Recitation prioritizes efficient data handling to ensure smooth user experiences. By leveraging CloudKit for secure and synchronized data storage, I implemented best practices for managing user-specific data such as assignments and tasks. This approach ensures that users can access their data seamlessly across devices while maintaining app responsiveness, even for large workloads.
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Utilized CloudKit to store user data securely and enable cross-device synchronization.
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Implemented strategies for lightweight data storage to maintain app speed.
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Optimized data retrieval processes to reduce load times.