The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Flutter Expert — Part 6: Flutter Expert to more opportunities

by Isaac Adariku (LinkedIn, Twitter, Website)

Welcome to the final part of the “Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Flutter Expert” series, where you can learn and grow into an Expert Flutter developer. This article will focus on how to become a Flutter Expert and seize opportunities in the Flutter community and beyond.

If you haven’t already, I recommend that you read the previous parts of this series to gain a better understanding of the steps required to become a Flutter Expert.

• 👉🏾 Part1 — Getting Started in Tech
• 👉🏾 Part2 — Thinking of learning or using Flutter
• 👉🏾 Part3 — Beginner Flutter developer guide to Expert
• 👉🏾 Part4 — Intermediate Flutter developer guide to Expert
• 👉🏾 Part5 — Advanced Flutter developer guide to Expert
• 👉🏾 Part6 — Flutter Expert to More Opportunities (You are here)

After reading the previous parts of this series, you might be wondering what more there is to learn. However, I have seen many experienced Flutter developers who are still not getting the opportunities they deserve in the Flutter Community and beyond. That’s why, in this article, we will explore experimental Flutter features and advanced development techniques that push the boundaries of Flutter development. By mastering these skills, you can take your Flutter skills to the next level and stay ahead of the curve in the Flutter Community.

As this is an expert-level article, I will not joke around this time.😁

So let’s get started!

But before we do, can you argue with facts that Flutter is the best cross-platform framework for building beautiful native apps from a single codebase, compared to other frameworks like React Native, Xamarin, and Ionic?

If you can’t, then you need to go back and read the previous parts of this series to learn more about Flutter 😜. Let’s dive in!

What defines a Flutter Expert?

A Flutter Expert is a Flutter developer who has mastered the art of Flutter development, with the ability to create native applications that are both beautiful and functional from a single codebase. They can also articulate the superiority of Flutter over other cross-platform frameworks like React Native, Xamarin, and Ionic and win the argument.😁

On a serious note 😎,

A Flutter Expert has a deep understanding of the Flutter framework architecture and APIs, as well as the Dart programming language. This expertise allows them to effectively develop high-quality and beautiful applications with their advanced troubleshooting and debugging complex issues skills.

I am an Expert!

Nevertheless, being a Flutter Expert goes beyond just technical knowledge. It requires having a strong understanding of design principles, user experience, and the entire platform development process that Flutter facilitates across various platforms such as mobile, web, embedded, and desktop. So a Flutter Expert should be capable to convert software requirements into functional and user-friendly platform apps that satisfy business objectives.

Another crucial aspect of being a Flutter Expert is staying current with the most recent trends and best practices in their platform development of choice. This entails suggesting new methodologies and tools which enhance app development procedures while being knowledgeable about the latest updates in Flutter, participating in conferences and meetups, and working in tandem with other Flutter developers to exchange ideas and expertise.

In summary, becoming a Flutter Expert requires a profound technical understanding of Flutter and Dart language and a comprehensive knowledge of Flutter app development principles and best practices. It also requires staying informed about the latest trends and working with others to enhance the state of Flutter app development continually.

Get Ready! As you are about to learn how to become this Flutter Expert and unlock a new level of innovation and creativity in Flutter development!

How to Become a Flutter Expert

As you already know from the previous parts of this series, becoming a Flutter Expert requires mastering the Flutter and Dart programming language, as well as having a comprehensive understanding of app development principles and best practices. In this section, we will focus on the specific knowledge and skills you need to acquire to unlock a new level of innovation and creativity in Flutter development.

So, let’s dive into the expert-level stuff! 🤩

1. Priotize Security and Privacy in your Flutter development

Ensuring security and privacy in your Flutter apps is crucial to safeguarding user data, preventing unauthorized access, and delivering a safe experience to your users. To achieve this, it is essential to utilize the latest security and privacy features available in Flutter and Dart language.

Some of the considerations to keep in mind:

• Always use the latest Flutter and Dart SDKs: As Flutter and Dart continually evolve, new security and privacy features are added. So, it’s critical to keep up-to-date with the latest SDKs to ensure that your app incorporates the latest security and privacy features.
• Use secure communication protocols: It is best practice to use secure communication protocols such as HTTPS or SSL/TLS when networking, preventing unauthorized parties from intercepting them.
• Store sensitive data securely: It is vital to store sensitive data like payment information, user credentials, and other sensitive data in a secure manner. Avoid storing data in plain text, which can be easily accessed by attackers.
• Handle errors gracefully: When errors occur, handle them gracefully by providing informative error messages that don’t reveal any sensitive information. This allows users to understand what went wrong and how to fix the issue.
• Comply with privacy regulations: Ensure your app complies with privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA, by clear and concise privacy policies, obtaining user consent for data collection and processing, and allowing users to request the deletion of their personal data.

These are only a few of the measures you can take to ensure security and privacy in your Flutter app. If you would like to learn more, refer to the following resources:

• Flutter Security and Philosophy.
• Keep up to date with the Flutter Security False Positives.
• Majid Hajian’s talk on Securing Flutter Apps with OWASP Top 10 for mobile & RASP.
• A guide on securing your Flutter environment variables from me.
• Andrea’s guide on storing API keys securely in Flutter apps.

Flutter Security Expert

2. Adopt the mindset of being a Flutter Experimentalist and Innovator

Yes! Flutter experts are experimentalists and innovators, which means that you are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible with Flutter, exploring new ideas and approaches, and striving to create innovative and groundbreaking apps.

Here are some ways to start adopting the mindset of a Flutter Experimentalist and Innovator:

• Always stay up to date with the latest developments: I have mentioned this point often, but it’s never enough 😁. You will need to always stay current with the latest updates and developments in the Flutter ecosystem. This means regularly exploring the newly added libraries, tools and plugins, and keeping an eye on emerging trends in the Flutter world.
• Experiment with new ideas: Flutter already provides ways to quickly try out new ideas, so this should make you comfortable taking risks, trying out new approaches and not being afraid to fail or exploring unconventional solutions.
• Focus on user experience: As an expert, you should prioritize creating apps that deliver an exceptional user experience. You will need to stay on top of the latest design trends and best practices and use them to create unique and engaging interfaces.
• Think outside the box: To truly be a Flutter Expert that innovates, you need to be willing to think outside the box. You will have to not be limited by what has been done before and challenge yourself to come up with new and creative solutions.

Having these concepts in mind and practising them, you can create Flutter apps that are at the cutting edge of technology and push the boundaries of what is possible with Flutter.

Some of the resources to help you become a Flutter Experimentalist and Innovator:

• Follow the Flutter team on Twitter and subscribe to their YouTube channel to stay up to date with the latest developments in the Flutter ecosystem.
• Subscribe to Andreas’s monthly Flutter Expert Newsletter to get the latest news and updates about Flutter.
• Follow Filip Hráček's youtube channel as he shares concepts that push the boundaries of what is possible with Flutter and game development. One of the latest you should learn about is the low-level canvas APIs in Flutter.
• Watch and subscribe to JideGuru’s youtube channel as he shares some experiments with Flutter and Dart.
• Check out Very Good Ventures an Expert Flutter development agency, to see examples of innovative and groundbreaking apps built with Flutter.
• Join Shorebird as they make multi-platform the default way all developers build interactive software and push the boundary of Flutter & Dart.

3. Plan and Design before you code your Flutter apps

Only Experts do this! 😎

Before you begin coding your Flutter app, it’s important to first plan and design it, and this is something that only experts do. By doing so, you can ensure that your app is high quality, meets your users’ needs and expectations, and avoids costly mistakes and rework that steal time and unnecessary refactoring.

So, to plan and design your Flutter app effectively, you should consider the following:

• Identify Your Users’ Needs: This involves conducting user research, creating user personas, and identifying critical user tasks and workflows to ensure that your app meets their requirements and provides a positive user experience.
• Sketch and Prototype: Once you have a clear understanding of your user’s needs, you create low-fidelity wireframes or mockups and more detailed prototypes that simulate app interactions and workflows, so as to test and refine your design before starting to code.
• Follow Design Guidelines: Ensure you set design guidelines and best practices that can help you create a visually appealing and easy-to-use user interface that is consistent and cohesive across multiple devices and platforms.
• Plan for Data Management: Consider how you will manage and store data, including identifying the types of data your app will need to store and choosing the appropriate data storage solutions, such as local storage, cloud storage, or a backend server.
• Create a Development Plan: Once you have a clear understanding of your app’s design and requirements, outline the key features, milestones, and deadlines for your project to stay organized and focused throughout the development process.

To learn more about planning and designing your Flutter apps, check out the following resources:

• Read the Flutter Design Principles.
• Learn about Flutter Design Patterns by Mangirdas Kazlauskas.
• Use a top design system package on FlutterGems like Fluent UI, MacOS UI, etc.
• Read How to plan product development by Dane Mackier, FilledStacks Founder.
• Read about building Widgets that developers love by Matt Carroll Chief of Flutter Bounty Hunters.

Feeling like an Expert already 😁

I guess you are now feeling like an Expert already 😀

Let’s explore a little and you are ready 🔥

4. Incorporate nascent technologies into your Flutter apps

Flutter Experts are always on the lookout for new technologies and innovative tools that can improve their app development process and create better products. This also opens a window for these professionals to be willing to experiment and make it simpler for the Flutter community.

Pardon me, I used the word “nascent” because I wanted to sound smart 😎. But I mean new and emerging technologies.

Let’s focus on a few that are gaining traction in the Flutter development community:

• Multi-Factor Authentication: This offers an extra layer of security for user accounts. Expert Flutter developers may want to explore this advanced security feature like the TOTP (Time-based One Time Password), among others, to enhance their app’s security.
• Machine Learning in Flutter Apps: This is another exciting technology with many potential use cases in Flutter apps. Flutter experts are interested in how they can integrate machine learning libraries and tools to improve their apps’ performance, such as natural language processing and image recognition.
• Blockchain Technology in Flutter Apps: Blockchain technology is becoming increasingly relevant in many industries, and it has potential use cases in Flutter apps as well. Expert Flutter developers may be interested in exploring how to implement blockchain technology in their apps, such as for secure data storage or creating decentralized apps.
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Flutter Apps: This Emerging technologies offer unique and engaging experiences for users. Expert developers may want to explore integrating AR and VR features into their Flutter apps using frameworks like Google ARCore or Apple ARKit.
• Integrating Flutter with IoT Devices: As more and more devices become connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), there is increasing demand for Flutter apps that can interact with these devices. Expert Flutter developers may want to explore how to integrate Flutter with IoT devices, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity.

To learn more about emerging technologies and tools that you can use in your Flutter apps, check out the following resources:

• Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication in Flutter Apps from the Firebase Team.
• Multi-Factor Authentication With Flutter And Firebase by Guillaume from the Invertase.io Team.
• Check out some cool Machine learning packages catalogue on Fluttergem to try them out.
• Try out some CodeLab for Machine Learning by the Flutter Team.
• Follow Very Good Ventures as they explore some cool experiments in Flutter and show how it is made. Like the Flutter Foward Holobooth.
• Ensure you follow one of the best Flutter GDEs Roman Jaquez as he explores iOT and Flutter and he posts some cool experiments.
• Watch KendiJ talk on Flutter and AR in the Wild at Flutter Heros.

5. Embrace Flutter Opportunities

This is one of the most rewarding things you can do as a Flutter Expert as it enables you to advance your career and broaden your knowledge. You should always be on the lookout for opportunities to grow your career and expand your knowledge and you should always be willing to take advantage of these opportunities.

Opportunities can come in many different forms, such as:

• Acquiring new skills: Take advantage of opportunities to acquire skills relevant to Flutter and app development, such as Agile methodologies, cloud computing, backend development, and UI/UX design. This makes you a more well-rounded developer and makes you more relevant in the rapidly changing tech industry.
• Developing your portfolio: To showcase your skills and expertise in Flutter, you need to build a portfolio of projects that demonstrate your proficiency in the framework. Create some innovative and functional mobile apps and publish them on app stores to gain recognition. You can also be contributing to open-source projects and participate in hackathons and competitions.
• Mentoring/Teaching Others: With the increasing popularity of Flutter, there is a growing demand for skilled Flutter trainers who can teach others how to use the framework. You can share your expertise by creating courses, conducting workshops for individuals or companies, writing articles and tutorials, or creating video tutorials. You can register on Mentor Cruise or Code Mentor and start mentoring others, or start your own YouTube channel and create Flutter video tutorials or start your own blog and write articles about Flutter or create a podcast and share your knowledge with others.
• Becoming a Flutter Community Leader 🧢: Being a Flutter Community Leader will help you grow your network, and build a reputation as a Flutter Expert and it will help you stay up to date with the latest developments in the Flutter ecosystem. This involves creating Flutter meetups, conferences, events, hackathons, competitions and challenges that the whole community can benefit from.
• Join a Flutter-based startup: There are several startups that rely solely on Flutter, and you can join them to work on exciting and innovative projects. Working for a Flutter-based startup can help you develop new skills, work on exciting projects, and be part of a dynamic team.
• Start your Flutter-based business: As a Flutter expert, you can start your own app development business based on Flutter. You can provide your services to clients, create innovative mobile/desktop apps, and offer consultancy services to other businesses and startups that want to build high-quality Flutter-based mobile apps with effective strategies.
• Offering your services as a Flutter freelancer: If you are a Flutter expert, you can offer your services as a freelancer on platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr. You can find numerous Flutter-based projects on these platforms, and you can work on them as per your availability.
• Collaborate with other Flutter developers: You can collaborate with other Flutter developers on innovative apps, participate in online discussion forums, join Flutter-based communities on social media, and attend local meetups to build your reputation as a Flutter expert. One of my favourite Flutter experts on this is Randal L. Schwartz — He is a GDE and he is always helping the community on all platforms.

There are many more Flutter opportunities available to you, so keep an open mind and seize them as they arise. I recommend you watch the Flutter Experts show by Radhika Goswami to hear from Flutter community leaders and experts about their journeys and tips for cracking Flutter interviews and finding opportunities in the field.

Cleaning up to wrap up

That is it! If you have read this far and you have implemented most of the things mentioned in this article,

Congratulations! You are a Flutter Expert! 🤩

Final Thoughts

Flutter 💙 is a great Framework and it is a great time to be a Flutter Expert as there are many opportunities in Flutter. You can become a Flutter Expert by learning the basics of Flutter, mastering the framework, and seizing opportunities to grow your career and expand your knowledge.

You’re welcome in the Flutter Community! — Flutter Culture

Shout out to My darling wife — Queen Ochanya Adariku, all the Flutter Experts and Community Leaders who have contributed to the series of articles in one way or the other! 🙌🏽

A Special shout out to the Flutter Team, Flutter Community and Flutter Experts and Community Leaders!

To the Flutter & Dart Team, Flutter Experts and Community leaders, Shout out to you all!

I celebrate the journey you have taken together and the incredible advancements you have made. You have transformed the mobile development world, delivering cutting-edge, high-performance apps that have captured the hearts and minds of users everywhere.

But the work is far from over. As you continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, please remember that your expertise and knowledge are what drive you forward. So never stop learning, innovating, and collaborating with one another to achieve even greater heights.

So let us raise our virtual glasses 🍸 and toast to the future of Flutter — a future filled with endless possibilities and untold potential. The experts, the leaders, and the trailblazers of this amazing technology, the world is your playground. Go out there and make magic happen! 🥂

Until next time, 💙 Happy Fluttering! 💙

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Every day is another opportunity to gain Mastery! 💙 — Isaac Adariku (Eternity)