/app-planner

name: app-planner
description: Guides you through comprehensive iOS/Swift app planning and analysis. Use for new apps (concept to architecture) or existing apps (audit current state, plan improvements, evaluate tech stack). Covers product planning, technical decisions, UI/UX design, and distribution strategy.
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion]
last_verified: 2026-07-16
review_by: 2027-06-22
os_version: iOS 27 / macOS 27

App Planner Skill

Comprehensive guide for planning iOS/Swift applications and analyzing existing apps, covering product, technical, UI/UX, and distribution considerations.

When This Skill Activates

Use this skill when the user:

**For New Apps:**

• Wants to plan a new iOS/Swift app from scratch
• Asks about app planning, architecture planning, or project setup
• Needs help defining features, requirements, or technical stack
• Wants to create a comprehensive app plan or design document
• Asks "what should I consider when building a new app?"

**For Existing Apps:**

• Wants to analyze or audit their current iOS app
• Asks to "run through my existing app"
• Needs architecture evaluation or recommendations
• Wants tech stack assessment
• Planning major refactoring or improvements
• Evaluating app health and identifying gaps

Planning Process

1. Understand Project Context

First, determine if this is a **new app** or **existing app**, then gather context:

**App Status:**

• New app (planning from scratch)
• Existing app (analyze/improve)

**For NEW Apps - gather:**

• **Project Type**: Personal, client, startup, learning
• **Current Stage**: Just an idea, have requirements, have designs, technical only
• **Scope**: Full planning, feature planning, architecture only, tech stack only

**For EXISTING Apps - gather:**

• **Project Type**: Personal, client, startup, enterprise
• **App Age**: How long in development/production
• **Codebase Size**: Small (<10 screens), medium (10-30), large (30+)
• **Current Issues**: Performance, maintainability, feature additions, technical debt
• **Analysis Scope**: Full audit, architecture review, tech stack evaluation, specific area
• **Existing Tech Stack**: SwiftUI/UIKit, architecture pattern, persistence layer
• **Pain Points**: What's not working well, what needs improvement

**Then proceed to appropriate workflow:**

• **New App** → Continue to "Planning Phases for New Apps" (Section 3)
• **Existing App** → Jump to "Analysis Process for Existing Apps" (Section 6)

2. Load Reference Materials

Before detailed planning, familiarize yourself with these references in `.claude/skills/app-planner/`:

• **planning-checklist.md** - Comprehensive planning checklist covering all phases
• **architecture-guide.md** - Architecture patterns, decisions, and trade-offs
• **tech-stack-options.md** - Technology choices for different requirements

3. Planning Phases for New Apps

**Note**: For existing apps, skip to Section 6 "Analysis Process for Existing Apps"

Guide the user through these planning phases based on their scope:

Phase 1: Product Planning

**Goals:**

• Define what the app does and who it's for
• Identify core features and prioritization
• Understand user needs and workflows

**Activities:** 1. **Define App Purpose**

• What problem does it solve?
• What's the core value proposition?
• What makes it different?

2. **Identify Target Users**

• Who will use this app?
• What are their goals and pain points?
• Create 1-2 user personas if helpful

3. **Feature Definition**

• List all potential features
• Categorize: MVP (must-have), v2 (nice-to-have), future
• Prioritize based on value and complexity

4. **User Journeys**

• Map key user workflows
• Identify main user paths through the app
• Note critical touchpoints

Phase 2: Technical Planning

**Goals:**

• Choose appropriate architecture and patterns
• Design data models
• Select technology stack
• Plan project structure

**Activities:** 1. **Architecture Selection**

• Review architecture-guide.md for options (MVVM, TCA, etc.)
• Consider project size, team experience, requirements
• Ask user about preferences and constraints
• Recommend architecture with rationale

2. **Data Modeling**

• Identify main entities and relationships
• Define data flow (where data comes from, where it goes)
• Choose persistence layer:
• Core Data (complex data, relationships, offline-first)
• SwiftData (iOS 17+, modern alternative)
• UserDefaults (simple settings only)
• Realm (alternative to Core Data)
• Custom backend + caching

3. **Tech Stack Decisions**

• Review tech-stack-options.md for guidance
• **UI Framework**: SwiftUI, UIKit, or hybrid
• **Minimum iOS version**: Based on features needed
• **Networking**: URLSession, Alamofire, or custom
• **Dependencies**: SPM, CocoaPods, or manual
• **Third-party libraries**: Based on requirements
• Ask about user preferences and constraints

4. **Project Structure**

• Folder organization (features, layers, modules)
• Modularization strategy (monolith vs multi-module)
• Code organization patterns

Phase 3: UI/UX Planning

**Goals:**

• Plan user interface and experience
• Ensure HIG compliance
• Design navigation and flows

**Activities:** 1. **Design System**

• Color palette (consider dark mode)
• Typography (SF Pro, custom fonts)
• Spacing system (8pt grid recommended)
• Component library planning

2. **Navigation Pattern**

• Tab bar (2-5 main sections)
• Sidebar (iPad, complex hierarchies)
• Navigation stack (linear flows)
• Sheet/modal presentations
• Recommend based on app structure

3. **Screen Planning**

• List all main screens
• Create simple wireframes or descriptions
• Define screen hierarchy
• Plan empty states, loading states, error states

4. **Accessibility First**

• Dynamic Type support
• VoiceOver compatibility
• Color contrast requireme