From a Working Prototype to a Living App: The Story of an Architecture That Gave a Project Its Soul

ByKinga Maleszewska

Late evening. On the laptop screen, a working prototype of a mobile app is visible—the fruit of months of my own work. Technically, the core functions: you can browse data, click buttons, save information. And yet, there’s a feeling of frustration in the air.

The app, although it worked, had no “soul.” It was a collection of interconnected features, not a coherent, intuitive experience. The user flows were illogical, the interface was clunky in places, and the best ideas were lost somewhere along the way. It was that painful moment when I realized that the huge potential of my project was trapped in code that “just worked” instead of “delighting.”

The Decision: Build on a New Foundation Instead of Patching

I could have continued “patching” and adding more features to the existing structure. But I knew that was a road to nowhere. The app needed open-heart surgery. My goal was to transform this promising prototype into a professional, market-ready product (MVP+) that would have a solid foundation for years of development.

I divided this goal into three pillars:

  • Architecture: Introducing a clean, scalable structure that would facilitate future development.

  • User Experience (UX): Redesigning key processes to be intuitive and satisfying.

  • Strategy: Creating a clear roadmap (my “Eras” and “Milestones”) to ensure development was thoughtful and organized.

To build the new version, I chose a modern and reliable tech stack: Flutter for rapid development on iOS and Android, Riverpod for state management, and Firebase as a powerful serverless backend from Google.

The Brains of the Operation: Smart Navigation That Cares for the User

One of the best examples of the new architecture is how the app manages navigation and access. Instead of chaotic conditions scattered throughout the code, I created a central system based on the go_router package. It’s the “brain” that ensures the user always ends up in the right place depending on their state—whether they’re logged in, have verified their email, or have completed the onboarding process.

The following code snippet from the app_router.dart file is the heart of this mechanism. It’s what ensures that moving through the app is smooth and secure.


// Snippet of the redirection logic in the app
redirect: (BuildContext context, GoRouterState state) {
  final user = _auth.currentUser;
  final isLoggedIn = user != null;
  
  // List of routes that do not require login
  final isPublicRoute = state.matchedLocation == '/login' || state.matchedLocation == '/register';

  // If the user is not logged in, they can only access public routes
  if (!isLoggedIn) {
    return isPublicRoute ? null : '/login';
  }

  // If they are logged in, we check further conditions
  final isVerified = user.emailVerified;
  // ... (further logic for verification and onboarding) ...

  // If a verified user tries to access public screens,
  // we redirect them to the home screen
  if (isPublicRoute || isVerifying) {
    return '/home';
  }

  // In all other cases, we allow navigation
  return null;
},

The Result: Reaching "Era 1" and Full Readiness

The new, solid foundation allowed for lightning-fast development. In just a few weeks, I completed 5 major milestones as part of my “Era 1” of development. I transformed an unstable prototype into a mature MVP+, fixing over a dozen UX bugs, implementing complex features (like three different views for a key screen and a gamification system), and achieving 100% readiness for Test Version 1.1.

The app got its “soul” back.

The greatest satisfaction in this project came not from the coding itself, but from the process of authentic partnership—in this case, with myself as the product visionary. It was a constant synergy between my vision and product sense and my technical expertise. The best applications are not created in a vacuum, but in a cycle of open, iterative work, where every piece of feedback leads to a better, more thoughtful solution.

Do you have an app that “just works” but you feel is stuck in a dead end and further development is painful? Or maybe your prototype needs a solid architectural foundation to spread its wings?

I invite you for a free consultation. Let’s talk about how we can transform your project into a mature, scalable, and delightful product.

Write to me!

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