English Hub — React Native cross-platform app
Built and maintained a React Native learning app shipping to Android and iOS from a single codebase. Redux for predictable state, REST integrations against the backend, and UI iteration driven by user-facing feedback in Agile sprints.
- react native
- redux
- rest
- javascript
- android
- ios
- — engagement: Mar 2022 → Jul 2022
- — platforms: Android + iOS, single codebase
- — delivery: Agile sprints, iterative UI
context
English Hub needed a mobile experience that worked consistently across Android and iOS without forking the codebase. The brief covered new feature delivery and ongoing maintenance against an existing REST backend.
constraints
- One codebase, two platforms — feature parity without per-platform forks.
- Predictable state across screens and navigation flows.
- Responsive UI on a wide range of device sizes.
- Sprint-paced delivery alongside ongoing bug triage.
architecture
React Native handled the rendering layer; Redux owned cross-screen state with explicit action / reducer flow so state mutations were traceable in dev tools. REST integration was wrapped in service modules that isolated network concerns from view code. UI work followed iterative review cycles — design adjustments shipped as small PRs rather than large rewrites.
trade-offs
- Redux for state vs. lighter alternatives. Redux chosen for explicit state transitions and dev-tool traceability, accepting more boilerplate for clearer mental model on a junior-tier codebase.
- Cross-platform abstraction vs. native polish. React Native’s shared codebase was the right call for the team size; platform-specific UX nuances were addressed where they mattered, not blanket-customized.
outcome
- Stable cross-platform builds shipped from a unified codebase.
- UI iteration loop tightened through small PRs and direct sprint feedback.
- Foundation laid for ongoing feature delivery without per-platform divergence.