Experience
App shell, editor, canvas and inspectors
Present navigation and creative controls while reading state and raising user intent.
Technology · 06
How the promises get checked.
Every claim on these pages is meant to be verifiable. The app is organised as a flow of responsibilities, features trace to written requirements and tests, and anything a Simulator cannot prove is verified on a real device.
A document-centred product
The editor is one experience built from distinct responsibilities.
Views present the controls, state coordinates intent, the document preserves creative decisions, and dedicated services understand, render and deliver the pixels.
Experience→State & intents→Creative document→Use-case coordination→AI & image pipeline→Layout & rendering→Storage & delivery
State & intents
Reactive coordination
State flows down to the interface; controlled actions flow up through the intent system.
Creative document
Non-destructive project and profile
FrameDocument, FrameProfile, document layers and unified caption elements preserve creative intent.
Use-case coordination
Intake, document and export interactors
Coordinate complete business processes without embedding policy inside views.
AI & image pipeline
Vision, analysis and processing nodes
Understand the scene, refine masks and create scoped image products.
Layout & rendering
Shared geometry, canvas and compositor
Turn one document contract into responsive preview pixels and high-resolution delivery pixels.
Storage & delivery
Settings, document assets and export services
Recover work, persist reusable assets, protect metadata and deliver the finished creation.
Architecture review checkpoint
Confirm that the responsibility model explains how the app is built without turning the BA view into a source-code inventory.
| Epic | Capability | Feature / requirement source | Evidence | Lifecycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI-assisted composition | Subject separation | Rendering requirements and AI pipeline audit | Mask pipeline tests plus device verification | Implemented |
| 3D Studio & parity | Subject overflow | 3D Pop and rendering requirements | Layout-engine tests and visual verification | Implemented |
| Creative text | Behind-subject caption | Caption requirements and unified text model | Caption/model tests plus canvas verification | Implemented |
| Dependable delivery | WYSIWYG export | Rendering requirements and offset specification | Geometry tests, parity traces and export verification | Implemented |
Maintenance ruleWhen product behaviour changes, update the authoritative requirement, acceptance criteria and tests first. This page should then be regenerated or reviewed against those sources as release documentation, not edited as an independent source of truth.
Strategic theme
Private intelligent creativityMake advanced photo composition approachable without unnecessary cloud dependency.
Epic
AI-assisted photo compositionUse scene understanding and subject separation to unlock meaningful composition.
Capability
On-device scene understandingDiscover context and reusable foreground structure from an imported photo.
Feature
Subject discovery and persistent mask assetsFind foreground instances and retain recoverable artifacts for editing and export.
User story
As a creator, I want the app to separate a clear subject so I can place content around it.Acceptance criteria and automated/manual evidence make the expected behaviour explicit.
Define and manage scope, requirements and priorities
REQM Level 4 expects ownership of these activities for initiatives of medium size and complexity.
Max Photo Frames evidenceProduct domains, roadmap initiatives, Epic/Feature groupings, detailed FRs, non-functional constraints and prioritised implementation task boards establish scope from product intent through delivery.
Contribute to selecting the requirements approach
The practitioner helps choose an approach appropriate to the context rather than applying one method mechanically.
Max Photo Frames evidenceLean value-stream analysis explains outcomes, SAFe-aligned hierarchy connects strategy to capability, and Agile stories, acceptance criteria and tests govern incremental delivery.
Facilitate stakeholder input and constructive challenge
REQM Level 4 includes enabling effective input, testing assumptions and supporting prioritisation.
Max Photo Frames evidenceOwner decisions are recorded in roadmap plans, alternatives and rejected approaches remain visible, decision points precede implementation, and requirements are revised when product review changes direction.
Establish a baseline or backlog and obtain agreement
Requirements should have an agreed reference point from which controlled delivery and change can proceed.
Max Photo Frames evidenceThe requirements index, domain shards, Epic view, roadmap, task board and release checklist form the controlled baseline. Proposed work remains visibly separate from implemented behaviour.
Maintain traceability to source
Requirements must remain connected to their origin, delivered behaviour and evidence.
Max Photo Frames evidenceFeatures link to FR numbers, acceptance criteria, related architecture documents, implementation files, automated tests, manual verification and release sign-off. The matrix above summarises that chain.
Enable, guide and work autonomously
The broader SFIA Level 4 responsibility describes diverse complex work under general direction, supporting others and contributing expertise to team outcomes.
Practice alignment, not certification
This page demonstrates how the project’s artefacts align with REQM Level 4. A formal SFIA assessment would also require evidence of the individual’s workplace autonomy, influence, complexity and behaviours.
Project & tech stack
Max Photo Frames is a SwiftUI-first iOS photo editor with a non-destructive document model and a strict preview-to-export parity goal.
SwiftUI and Observation
SwiftUI, iOS 17 Observation with @Observable, a custom staged editor layout, Swift concurrency and a canvas-first interaction model.
Vision and Core Image
Apple Vision foreground masks, Core Image compositing and filters, Photos/PhotosUI integration, skin smoothing and subject cutouts.
Shared preview and export
ExportInteractor, ExportManager, RenderService and layout math stay aligned with the live SwiftUI preview.
Non-destructive documents
Reusable frame profiles, persisted media layers and a V5 document model keep editing flexible while protecting user work.
Selected build history
A small, readable sample of the work behind each release, not a private Git log.
15 Sep 2025
First App Store release
Max Photo Frames launches on iPhone and iPad with its first photo-framing experience.
30 Jan 2026
Smarter date handling
Photos with unknown dates gain safer fallbacks and smarter caption behaviour.
1 Aug 2026
Preview and export stay aligned
Automated comparison work protects the relationship between the live preview and the saved image.
2 Aug 2026
Full backup returns
Backup returns to the Hub and includes the saved caption library.
14 Aug 2026
Reliable iCloud Sync
A full two-device test cycle hardens iCloud Sync and ensures an empty cloud answer can never delete a library.
15 Aug 2026
Version 3.1 ready for release
The release notes, device verification and App Store materials are brought together for the Version 3.1 submission.
Repository snapshot: 2,129 first-parent commits on main, 2,891 commits across local refs, and 18 release or milestone tags. Commit count describes repository activity, not hours worked.
Validation & Quality
The app supports both the original workflow and the 3D Pop workflow. Testing focuses on memory management, caching, restoration, exporting and ensuring edits persist correctly across both paths.