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A Last-Minute Design Pivot

Earlier this week, I was working on a feature that, while not particularly complex presented some interesting challenges. We were scheduled to launch the next day when the design team unexpectedly requested changes to the interface. I must admit that I initially overreacted to this last-minute request, especially considering how straightforward the modification ultimately proved to be.

Despite our VP of Engineering informing the QA team that these design updates would be postponed to a future release, I decided to implement the changes before our scheduled launch. My goal was to incorporate the new design elements without delaying our release timeline.

The Overcomplicated Approach

The requested design update (shown on the left in the reference materials) appeared more complex than it actually was—largely due to my initial reaction. I approached the problem with unnecessary complexity:

1. My first instinct was to restructure the entire view hierarchy, which would have been impossible to complete before release.
2. I then attempted to create a text background that would span the full screen width, but this solution introduced various UI inconsistencies across different devices.

The feature was released, but the implementation was not optimal. This prompted a valuable learning opportunity for our entire team, and we scheduled a revised release to address these issues.

The Elegant Solution

Upon revisiting the problem with a calmer perspective, I discovered a remarkably simple solution: adding an overlay at the bottom of the image. This approach achieved the desired visual effect flawlessly across all devices without requiring extensive modifications to our codebase.

Key Takeaways

This experience reinforced two critical lessons:

1. Maintain perspective when faced with changes. Overreacting led me to perceive a straightforward adjustment as a complex problem, causing me to overlook the simplest solution. A measured approach allows for clearer thinking and more efficient problem-solving.

2. Know when to respectfully decline. As our VP suggested, sometimes it’s appropriate to postpone changes to a subsequent release cycle. Adhering to this guidance could have prevented the complications entirely and allowed for a more thoughtful implementation.

Some Swift Articles

• ​https://www.massicotte.org/synchronous-work​
• ​https://forums.swift.org/t/se-0461-run-nonisolated-async-functions-on-the-callers-actor-by-default/77987​
• ​https://substack.com/home/post/p-143381359?source=queue​