Modular Design Approach in Product Development

Build a product like playing with LEGO bricks

My first startup that I ever worked in works on an app Watcha, a movie recommendation app with more than 1.5M users (now evolving to a movie streaming service potentially better than Netflix in Korea). I worked as an Android developer.

While working on the new version of Watcha, I was fascinated by the design — card components. Every screen was design to carry a list that contained cards. Nowadays, card-based design is already the trend. Google Now, Facebook News Feed, Pinterest, and so many other apps use this kind of design to display contents to the users.

Watcha (Left), Pinterest (Middle), Amazon Alexa Companion(Right)

Nevertheless, what fascinated me was not merely the format of the contents displayed, but also the way that the cards changed how to build this product.

And I stumbled upon an article and discovered this design method is called modular design.

What is modular design?

Modularity - the use of individually distinct functional units, as in assembling an electronic or mechanical system.

Think of modular design as the LEGO that you played with when you were a kid.