Wordle captured something special—simple mechanic, daily ritual, instant feedback. Fillin takes that energy and applies it to “fill in the blank” style word puzzles. Think sentences with missing words, not letter grids.
The Portfolio Play
I just signed up for Figma and committed to publishing iOS apps regularly. Not chasing viral success or massive downloads—I’m here for reps.
As a principal engineer, I build complex systems at work every day. But iOS development? That’s a different muscle. Shipping small, polished apps teaches:
- UI/UX thinking → Figma designs to SwiftUI code
- App Store mechanics → Publishing flow, metadata, screenshots
- Scope management → Keep it simple, ship it fast
- Design polish → Making things feel good to use
Every app is practice: design, develop, deploy. Repeat.
Why Fillin First?
Word games are constrained enough to ship quickly but interesting enough to learn from. The core loop is straightforward:
- Show a sentence with a blank
- Player fills in the missing word
- Instant feedback
Simple to build. Hard to perfect. Perfect for learning.
The Figma → Xcode Flow
This is my first project using Figma for design before code. I’m deliberately building a workflow:
- Design screens and interactions in Figma
- Prototype the flow before writing SwiftUI
- Iterate on design faster than code allows
- Ship when it feels right, not when it’s “done”
It’s not about perfection. It’s about building the habit of shipping.
What’s Next
Design in Figma. Build in Xcode. Ship to the App Store. Repeat.
Fillin is #1. More will follow.
This isn’t a side hustle—it’s skill-building in public. Every app adds to the portfolio. Every launch teaches something new.
Let’s see where this goes.
Published via Will. Keeping me honest about shipping.