Idea

For my first macOS app, I wanted to build something simple enough to finish but useful enough to actually use. As a part-time freelancer, I rely on solid time tracking with just the basics. No clutter, no feature overload. Every tool I tried was either paid with way too many features, or free with too many limitations. So I decided to build my own.

Challenge

I had a working app after just six hours. But it felt generic, like it could've been anyone's. Trying to tweak the design directly in code turned out to be painful, because Claude and I didn't share a visual language. Every adjustment was a back-and-forth that slowed things down instead of speeding them up.

Approach

So I took a step back and connected Claude Code to Figma. I designed the first screens exactly the way I wanted them. From there, Claude Code picked up the remaining screens through the Figma MCP. Not perfect, but 80% of the work was done. I only had to make small adjustments here and there.

Result

I spent all of Karfreitag designing and building. When the clock struck midnight, I thought: why stop with time tracking? So I added a full invoicing system on top. The design is bold and graphic, almost brutalist. Black outlines, sharp divider lines, no rounded corners. PP Monument Extended as the display typeface gives it a strong typographic presence. Each client gets one of eight vibrant accent colors, turning the project list into something you can scan instantly. No visual noise, just structure and color. The app handles everything I need: one-click time tracking with a menu bar timer, client and project management, detailed reports with donut charts and CSV/PDF export, and professional invoice generation with automatic EU VAT handling. Built with SwiftUI and SwiftData, fully local, no subscriptions, no backend. Just a tool that does exactly what I need and nothing more.