SwiftUI Development & UIKit to SwiftUI Migration
SwiftUI development for iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps, from a senior iOS developer with 13+ years of iOS experience. I build new SwiftUI-first apps and run UIKit to SwiftUI migrations for existing codebases, screen by screen, without freezing your release schedule.
My approach emphasizes component-driven development, theming systems, and reusable design systems. I use the Observation framework (@Observable), async/await, and MVVM-style feature models to manage data flow, and UIKit interop where a custom control or legacy screen is not worth rewriting.
What I Deliver
- SwiftUI views with declarative syntax & animations
- Feature models with @Observable (or ObservableObject for older targets)
- async/await and Combine for data flows
- Design system with theming, colors, typography
- UIKit interop (UIViewRepresentable, UIHostingController)
- NavigationStack routing and deep links
- Accessibility audits & VoiceOver support
- Figma-to-SwiftUI screen implementation with design QA
- Unit tests for models & preview snapshots
Best For
- New SwiftUI-first iOS app builds
- UIKit → SwiftUI migration (incremental)
- Rapid prototyping & MVP delivery
- Apple multi-platform apps (iOS, iPadOS, macOS)
- Design system implementation
- Design-first teams and agencies with designs ready to build
- Accessibility work (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, contrast)
Why SwiftUI?
Faster Development
Declarative syntax removes most of the layout and lifecycle boilerplate UIKit requires. Live previews accelerate iteration. Built-in animations and transitions are concise and smooth.
Shared Across Apple Platforms
The same views and models run on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS with platform-specific adjustments. SwiftUI is Apple-only; for Android, see cross-platform development.
Built-In Accessibility
Standard controls work with VoiceOver and Dynamic Type. Modifiers such as .accessibilityLabel and .accessibilityHint give custom views the same support, which then needs testing on a device.
Future-Proof
Apple's primary UI framework going forward. Annual WWDC updates bring new APIs, performance improvements, and platform integrations (Widgets, App Intents, Live Activities).
UIKit to SwiftUI Migration Service
Migrating from UIKit to SwiftUI? I follow an incremental approach that minimizes risk and keeps your app shippable at every step. UIKit and SwiftUI run side by side in the same app, so there is no rewrite and no feature freeze:
- Audit & Plan: Baseline crash and performance metrics, then inventory screens by migration risk
- Set Up Hybrid Architecture: Use UIHostingController to embed SwiftUI in your existing UIKit navigation
- Migrate Leaf Screens First: Settings, detail views, and simple forms validate the pattern
- Refactor Data Layer: Move logic out of view controllers into @Observable models both stacks can use
- Wrap What Stays: Keep complex custom UIKit controls behind UIViewRepresentable
- Move Navigation Last: Switch a flow to NavigationStack once every screen in it is SwiftUI
- Train Team: Knowledge transfer sessions, code reviews, SwiftUI best practices
Pace depends on screen complexity and test coverage, and migration can run in parallel with feature work. The full method, with interop code and a per-screen checklist, is in my UIKit to SwiftUI migration playbook. If you want an outside read on the codebase before committing, start with a mobile architecture audit; for a full app build beyond the UI layer, see iOS app development.
Tech Stack & Patterns
SwiftUI Fundamentals
- Views, Modifiers, ViewBuilders
- State, Binding, Bindable, Observable
- Environment for dependency injection
- PreferenceKey for child-to-parent communication
- ViewModifier for reusable styling
Architecture
- MVVM-style feature models (@Observable)
- Repository pattern for data layer
- Coordinator/Router and NavigationStack paths
- async/await with task cancellation
- Dependency injection via Environment
UI Implementation and Design Systems in SwiftUI
Beyond app builds and migrations, I implement finished designs in SwiftUI for design-first teams who need a senior developer to build their design system, and for agencies that need a reliable implementation partner for client work. The aim is screens that match the design file and still behave like native iOS.
Design-to-Code Handoff from Figma
I start by reviewing the Figma or Sketch files and clarifying gaps such as missing states and edge cases, then confirm font licenses, asset formats, and motion specs. Exact values come from Figma Inspect or Zeplin, and a design QA checklist with side-by-side screenshots keeps design and development aligned as screens land.
Design Systems and Tokens
Design tokens (colors, typography, spacing, shadows) become code: asset catalog colors with light and dark variants, text styles built on Dynamic Type, and spacing constants. Base components such as buttons, text fields, and cards become reusable SwiftUI views, ButtonStyles, and ViewModifiers, with theming passed through the Environment and Xcode previews documenting each component.
Screens, States, and Layout
Screens are assembled from the component library with loading, empty, and error states handled, and platform behaviors such as swipe actions and pull-to-refresh (.refreshable). Layouts adapt to screen sizes, orientations, iPad size classes, and safe areas, and localization covers right-to-left languages, longer strings, and locale-aware formatting.
Apple Human Interface Guidelines
Custom design is layered on top of iOS conventions rather than fighting them: standard navigation and gestures, SF Symbols, Dark Mode, and haptic feedback where it adds meaning. Where a design departs from the HIG in a way users will notice, I raise it during the handoff review instead of after the build.
Accessibility: Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, Contrast
Text uses Dynamic Type styles and @ScaledMetric so layouts hold up at the largest sizes. Custom views get VoiceOver labels, values, and traits, with related elements grouped and a sensible focus order. Colors are checked for contrast in light mode, dark mode, and Increase Contrast, and motion respects Reduce Motion. I test with VoiceOver on a device and Xcode's Accessibility Inspector, using WCAG guidance as the reference.
Animation and Polish
Transitions and micro-interactions use SwiftUI's animation APIs (withAnimation, matchedGeometryEffect, phase and keyframe animators), with Lottie when designers deliver animations that way. Complex motion is prototyped and reviewed before final implementation, and I profile on real devices with Instruments to keep scrolling and animations smooth.
If your designs follow Material Design or need to ship on Android too, that work is covered under cross-platform development with Flutter.
Typical Outcomes
- Substantially less UI code than UIKit — no manual constraint or lifecycle plumbing
- Faster iteration with Xcode previews instead of build-and-navigate cycles
- Accessible by default for standard controls, with custom views audited
- Shared code across Apple platforms: views and models reused between iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Easier maintenance: Single source of truth, reactive updates, testable models
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use SwiftUI vs UIKit?
Use SwiftUI for new screens and new apps, especially on iOS 16 or later. Keep UIKit for screens that depend on fine-grained control, such as complex collection view layouts, custom transitions, or TextKit editing. Hybrid apps can use both: SwiftUI for new screens, UIKit for the parts that are not worth rewriting.
Can you migrate an existing UIKit app to SwiftUI?
Yes. I migrate incrementally: leaf screens first, hosted in UIHostingController inside your existing navigation, UIKit components you keep wrapped with UIViewRepresentable or UIViewControllerRepresentable, and state moved into models both stacks can use. The app stays shippable at every step.
Do you offer UIKit to SwiftUI migration as a standalone service?
Yes. A migration engagement can be scoped on its own, separate from feature work. It usually starts with a review of the codebase and a screen inventory, then a bridge layer and a first set of migrated screens your team can copy.
What iOS version should a SwiftUI app target in 2026?
If your analytics allow it, I recommend iOS 17 or later. That gives you NavigationStack (iOS 16) and the @Observable macro (iOS 17), which remove most of the workarounds older SwiftUI code needed. Apps that must support iOS 15 can still use SwiftUI, with navigation kept in UIKit.
Is SwiftUI cross-platform?
Across Apple platforms, yes: the same SwiftUI views and models can run on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS with platform-specific adjustments. SwiftUI does not run on Android or the web; for those, a framework such as Flutter is the usual choice.
How does SwiftUI handle accessibility?
SwiftUI provides built-in accessibility modifiers (.accessibilityLabel, .accessibilityHint, .accessibilityValue). Most standard controls work with VoiceOver without extra code. Custom views need deliberate work, so I check each one with VoiceOver on a device, at the largest Dynamic Type sizes, and for contrast in light and dark mode, using WCAG guidance as the reference.
Can you implement our Figma designs and existing design system in SwiftUI?
Yes. I implement designs from Figma, Sketch, or any design tool, and follow your existing design system if you have one: tokens become colors, fonts, and spacing in code, and components become reusable SwiftUI views and styles. If you do not have a design system yet, I can help establish one as the screens are built.
How do you check that the SwiftUI build matches the design?
I take exact specs from design handoff tools such as Figma Inspect or Zeplin, test on the devices you target, work through a design QA checklist, and share side-by-side comparison screenshots so designers can review the build against the file.
How do you build animations and micro-interactions in SwiftUI?
With SwiftUI's native animation APIs: withAnimation, transitions, matchedGeometryEffect, and on iOS 17 phase and keyframe animators, falling back to Core Animation through UIKit when a spec needs it. Complex motion specs are prototyped and reviewed with the designer before final implementation, then checked on real devices.
Ready to build with SwiftUI?