Discovery: React Native Fundamentals

🔍 Your Mission (5 min)

Research 3 popular apps built with React Native and identify common UI patterns and design decisions.

📱 Research Phase (15 min)

Apps to Explore

Choose 3 from this list:

• Facebook/Meta
• Instagram
• WhatsApp
• Uber Eats
• Discord
• Shopify
• Tesla

What to Document

For each app, note:

1. Navigation patterns - How do users move between screens?
2. Common UI elements - What buttons, lists, forms do you see?
3. Performance feel - Does it feel native or web-like?
4. Unique features - What makes this app special?

🤔 Analysis (10 min)

Pattern Recognition

• What UI patterns appear in all 3 apps?
• Which app has the smoothest animations?
• How do they handle loading states?

Design Decisions

• Why might developers choose React Native for these apps?
• What are the trade-offs vs pure native development?
• How do these apps maintain platform consistency?

💬 Share & Discuss (5 min)

Quick Fire Round: Share one surprising discovery with the class.

Examples:

• "I noticed Instagram uses..."
• "The navigation in Discord..."
• "Tesla's app feels different because..."

🎯 Key Takeaway

React Native powers some of the world's most-used apps. Understanding their patterns helps you make better design decisions.

📤 Submit Your Work

Complete this activity and submit your work through the Activity Submission Form