How server-driven UI keeps our shop fresh
Article Summary
Duolingo ships UI changes in minutes, not weeks. Their server-driven UI system bypasses app store releases entirely.
Michelle Zhu from Duolingo's engineering team breaks down how they built a flexible SDUI system that controls everything from layout to interactivity through backend responses. It's powering their shop and purchase flows across iOS and Android.
Key Takeaways
- Ran 18 experiments in one year with zero client releases required
- Fixed release-blocking bugs instantly without app store approval cycles
- Single backend change updates UI across all platforms simultaneously
- Smart versioning lets old app versions display new content gracefully
- System uses 12 composable components with shared stylesheet for consistency
Critical Insight
Duolingo's SDUI system eliminated week-long release cycles for UI changes, enabling rapid experimentation and instant bug fixes across all app versions.
