Designing your own mobile app might sound intimidating, but with Adobe XD, it’s surprisingly achievable. Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone switching from another tool, XD helps turn your app idea into a real, interactive prototype—fast.
Let’s walk through the basics by designing a simple Habit Tracker App. In this tutorial, we’ll create a clean, scrollable home screen that lists daily habits. Along the way, you’ll learn how to use XD’s essential features through hands-on practice, not just theory.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Project
Once you’ve installed Adobe XD through the Creative Cloud app, open it and select a mobile artboard preset. For this tutorial, choose iPhone 13 (or whichever matches your target device). You’ll now see a blank screen—that’s your first artboard, where we’ll build the home screen for our habit tracker.
Tip: Rename your artboard “Home” in the Layers panel. Clear naming helps keep your project organised as you add more screens.
Step 2: Designing the Main Screen
Start with a top bar. Use the Rectangle tool (R) to draw a 60px-high rectangle at the top. Give it a soft background colour—something light and welcoming.
Add a title: Grab the Text tool (T), click inside the top bar, and type something like “My Daily Habits.” Align it centrally.
Below the header, add several habit cards using the Rectangle tool again. These will display habits like “Drink Water” or “10-Minute Meditation.” Use consistent sizing (e.g., 300x80px) and add labels with the Text tool.
Step 3: Creating Components for Reuse
Rather than designing each habit card from scratch, group the elements (rectangle + text), right-click, and choose Make Component. Now you can copy and paste it multiple times. The beauty of components? Edit one, and all instances update automatically. This ensures design consistency.
Try editing the corner radius or font style on the main component to see changes reflect everywhere.
Step 4: Adding Interactions (Prototyping)
Let’s make the UI interactive. Duplicate your “Home” artboard and rename it “Details.” Change the second screen to show info for one habit, like “Drink Water.”
Switch to Prototype mode, select the first habit card, and drag the blue arrow to the second artboard. In the settings, choose Tap as the trigger and Transition as the action. Click “Play” to preview. Tapping the card now brings you to the detail screen, just like a real app.
Step 5: Enhance with Auto-Animate
Want to add smooth transitions? Auto-Animate is your friend. Let’s say the card expands into the full screen. Make sure the layer names match across both artboards. In Prototype mode, select the card and change the action to Auto-Animate instead of Transition.
Now, when you test, the card grows into the new layout with a sleek animation. This helps simulate micro-interactions and delights users.
Step 6: Use Plugins to Save Time
Adobe XD supports plugins to boost your workflow. Click the Plugins tab and explore tools like:
- Icons 4 Design for quick icon access
- LottieFiles for animations
- UI Faces for realistic avatars
Install what you need and experiment. These plugins automate common tasks so you can focus on creative design.
Step 7: Set Up Responsive Layouts
To ensure your app works across devices, use XD’s Responsive Resize feature. When resizing an artboard, grouped elements will shift intelligently to maintain the layout. Also, use layout grids to keep everything aligned. Go to the artboard settings and enable a column grid for structure.
Test your design on smaller and larger screen sizes to ensure everything scales properly.
Step 8: Organise with Assets and Components

Click the Assets panel to see your components, colours, and character styles.
- Save colours for brand consistency
- Store frequently used icons or buttons as components
Use nested components for complex UIs, like a card that includes a reusable tag or icon. This keeps your project tidy and efficient.
Step 9: Final Touches and Exporting
Once your app design is ready:
- Select assets and mark them for export
- Choose the right formats (PNG, SVG, PDF)
- Use descriptive filenames (e.g., “btn-login.svg”)
Click Share > Development to create a handoff link with specs for developers. XD will include measurements, colours, and fonts.
Step 10: Test and Share Your Prototype
Click “Play” to interact with your prototype. Share the link with teammates or clients for feedback. XD even allows comments directly on the design.
This helps refine the user experience before any coding begins.
Bonus: Power Tips for Speed and Precision
- Use keyboard shortcuts for common tools (R = rectangle, T = text)
- Alt-drag to duplicate elements quickly
- Shift + arrow keys to nudge elements by 10px
- Use smart guides and alignment tools to ensure perfect positioning
These small habits make a big difference in productivity. With each project, you’ll become faster, more creative, and more confident. Adobe XD empowers you to take an idea and turn it into a tangible, testable experience. Start simple, stay curious, and build apps that users love.