A Solo Developer's Timetable App, Restarted After 6 Years

Hi. I'm the developer who makes and runs Damda, a timetable app, on my own.

For six years, I couldn't update Damda. But it was never just an old side project to me.

In my twenties, I didn't even know what I should build. I just started coding anyway. Damda was my first real app, and I grew it for about a year by running into one problem after another.

I didn't know what to do, so I just started building

Back then I wanted a job as an app developer. But I wasn't sure what to study or what kind of app to make. So instead of a big plan, I simply started.

The first things I put into Damda were things I felt I needed myself:

• A timetable I could check every day
• A lock screen that kept me from missing plans
• Widgets I could glance at without opening the app

I added what was needed one piece at a time, then fixed things based on feedback from the people using it. Over and over.

I recently reread something I wrote in 2018. Back then I described Damda as "an app where you add plans down to the minute and check your weekly timetable on the lock screen and in widgets."

I never built it chasing big numbers. I just wanted to finish an app people could actually use. But as that work added up, more people used Damda than I ever expected. By the time I got a job, it had passed 500,000 downloads.

A small project I started while looking for work became a tool that helps people organize their week. That still means a lot to me.

Six years on pause

After I started working, my job and everyday life took over, and I couldn't keep Damda going. The app stayed in the store, but Android kept changing while Damda, in a sense, stood still.

Whenever I thought of it, it left me a little wistful. I wanted to update it someday. And this time, I wanted to keep running it, not stop at the release. That thought became the Damda 3.0 project.

Bringing Damda back with 3.0

3.0 wasn't only a fresh coat of paint on old screens. It was about keeping what Damda had meant, while rebuilding it into an app you could use for a long time on today's Android. Here's what I cared about most:

• Rebuilding what 2.0 did for today's Android, rather than making a completely different app
• Going back over the parts you rarely see, like the old data structure, notifications and backup and restore, so longtime users could come back without trouble
• Giving the whole app one consistent feel, something the old Damda lacked
• Being a tool that stays close to your day, like a widget, even when the app isn't open
• Running reliably across Android versions, tablets, foldables and large font sizes, on a foundation that lets updates keep coming

For 3.0, I used warm colors and placed a dog character all around the app. Today, Damda's character is a hamster. More on that below.

And now, with a hamster

In 3.1.0, I changed Damda's main character from a dog to a hamster. I've always believed cute things can change the world. Dogs are cute too, but they were hard to turn into a character, so I made this adorable hamster the main character.

I also rebuilt the UI style. The old one never felt very tidy. It may look a little childish, but I wanted to make an app that feels like a game, so I changed the design to suit that.

Some familiar things moved, too. I wanted today's to-dos to be ready to start from one place.

If you've used Damda before, your timetable, to-dos and focus records are all still there after the update. I've listed what moved where in the 3.1.0 update post.

Still aiming to be a well-made timetable app

The character and screens have changed, but Damda will keep aiming to be a well-made timetable app. Just like when I first built it, I hope it can stay close to anyone who wants to see their week at a glance.

Since it sat still for six years, I'm going to keep it running from here on, slowly but steadily. Whether you used Damda years ago or just found it, I hope it helps you keep track of your days a little more easily. Thank you for following along.