So you want to build a learning management system with Flutter? I've been there. After spending months architecting and building an LMS app from scratch, I learned a lot about what works and what doesn't. Let me share everything I wish someone had told me when I started.
Why Flutter for an LMS?
Before we dive into the technical stuff, let's talk about why Flutter makes sense for this project. You get a single codebase that works on iOS, Android, and web. For an educational platform where students might access content from anywhere, that's huge. Plus, Flutter's widget system is perfect for building the kind of clean, minimal interfaces that modern users expect.
The Design Philosophy: Less is More
When I say minimalist UI/UX, I'm not just talking about white backgrounds and thin fonts. It's about removing friction from the learning experience. Students should be able to find their courses, access materials, and track progress without thinking about the interface. Every screen should have one primary action, and everything else should fade into the background.
Here are the principles I followed:
- Breathing room: White space isn't wasted space. It helps users focus.
- Consistent spacing: Use a spacing scale (8px, 16px, 24px, 32px) throughout the app.
- Limited color palette: Pick 2-3 brand colors max, plus neutrals.
- Clear typography hierarchy: Users should know what's important at a glance.
- Purposeful animations: Motion should guide attention, not distract.
System Architecture: The Big Picture
I went with Clean Architecture because it scales well and keeps the codebase maintainable. The basic idea is to separate concerns into distinct layers, each with its own responsibility.
Here's how it breaks down:
1. Presentation Layer
This is what users see and interact with. It includes screens, widgets, and state management. I use BLoC (Business Logic Component) pattern here because it plays nicely with Flutter and makes testing easier.
2. Domain Layer
The heart of your app. This layer contains business logic, use cases, and entity models. It doesn't know anything about Flutter or external APIs. This is pure Dart code.
3. Data Layer
Handles all data operations – API calls, local database, caching. It implements the repositories defined in the domain layer.
The key rule: dependencies only point inward. The domain layer is completely independent. The data layer depends on domain. The presentation layer depends on domain. This means you can swap out your backend or UI framework without touching your business logic.
Folder Structure That Actually Makes Sense
Here's the folder structure I settled on after several iterations. It's organized by feature rather than by type, which makes way more sense when your app grows:
lib/
├── core/
│ ├── constants/
│ │ ├── app_colors.dart
│ │ ├── app_text_styles.dart
│ │ ├── app_dimensions.dart
│ │ └── api_endpoints.dart
│ ├── errors/
│ │ ├── failures.dart
│ │ └── exceptions.dart
│ ├── network/
│ │ ├── network_info.dart
│ │ └── api_client.dart
│ ├── usecases/
│ │ └── usecase.dart
│ ├── utils/
│ │ ├── validators.dart
│ │ ├── date_formatter.dart
│ │ └── file_helper.dart
│ └── widgets/
│ ├── custom_button.dart
│ ├── custom_text_field.dart
│ ├── loading_indicator.dart
│ └── empty_state.dart
│
├── features/
│ ├── authentication/
│ │ ├── data/
│ │ │ ├── datasources/
│ │ │ │ ├── auth_local_data_source.dart
│ │ │ │ └── auth_remote_data_source.dart
│ │ │ ├── models/
│ │ │ │ └── user_model.dart
│ │ │ └── repositories/
│ │ │ └── auth_repository_impl.dart
│ │ ├── domain/
│ │ │ ├── entities/
│ │ │ │ └── user.dart
│ │ │ ├── repositories/
│ │ │ │ └── auth_repository.dart
│ │ │ └── usecases/
│ │ │ ├── login_user.dart
│ │ │ ├── register_user.dart
│ │ │ └── logout_user.dart
│ │ └── presentation/
│ │ ├── bloc/
│ │ │ ├── auth_bloc.dart
│ │ │ ├── auth_event.dart
│ │ │ └── auth_state.dart
│ │ ├── screens/
│ │ │ ├── login_screen.dart
│ │ │ └── register_screen.dart
│ │ └── widgets/
│ │ └── auth_form_field.dart
│ │
│ ├── courses/
│ │ ├── data/
│ │ │ ├── datasources/
│ │ │ │ ├── course_local_data_source.dart
│ │ │ │ └── course_remote_data_source.dart
│ │ │ ├── models/
│ │ │ │ ├── course_model.dart
│ │ │ │ └── lesson_model.dart
│ │ │ └── repositories/
│ │ │ └── course_repository_impl.dart
│ │ ├── domain/
│ │ │ ├── entities/
│ │ │ │ ├── course.dart
│ │ │ │ └── lesson.dart
│ │ │ ├── repositories/
│ │ │ │ └── course_repository.dart
│ │ │ └── usecases/
│ │ │ ├── get_all_courses.dart
│ │ │ ├── get_course_details.dart
│ │ │ ├── enroll_in_course.dart
│ │ │ └── get_enrolled_courses.dart
│ │ └── presentation/
│ │ ├── bloc/
│ │ │ ├── course_bloc.dart
│ │ │ ├── course_event.dart
│ │ │ └── course_state.dart
│ │ ├── screens/
│ │ │ ├── courses_list_screen.dart
│ │ │ ├── course_detail_screen.dart
│ │ │ └── my_courses_screen.dart
│ │ └── widgets/
│ │ ├── course_card.dart
│ │ ├── lesson_list_item.dart
│ │ └── progress_indicator.dart
│ │
│ ├── content/
│ │ ├── data/
│ │ │ ├── datasources/
│ │ │ │ ├── content_local_data_source.dart
│ │ │ │ └── content_remote_data_source.dart
│ │ │ ├── models/
│ │ │ │ ├── video_content_model.dart
│ │ │ │ ├── document_content_model.dart
│ │ │ │ └── quiz_model.dart
│ │ │ └── repositories/
│ │ │ └── content_repository_impl.dart
│ │ ├── domain/
│ │ │ ├── entities/
│ │ │ │ ├── content.dart
│ │ │ │ └── quiz.dart
│ │ │ ├── repositories/
│ │ │ │ └── content_repository.dart
│ │ │ └── usecases/
│ │ │ ├── get_lesson_content.dart
│ │ │ ├── mark_content_complete.dart
│ │ │ └── submit_quiz.dart
│ │ └── presentation/
│ │ ├── bloc/
│ │ │ ├── content_bloc.dart
│ │ │ ├── content_event.dart
│ │ │ └── content_state.dart
│ │ ├── screens/
│ │ │ ├── video_player_screen.dart
│ │ │ ├── document_viewer_screen.dart
│ │ │ └── quiz_screen.dart
│ │ └── widgets/
│ │ ├── video_player_controls.dart
│ │ ├── quiz_question_card.dart
│ │ └── completion_button.dart
│ │
│ ├── profile/
│ │ ├── data/
│ │ │ ├── datasources/
│ │ │ │ └── profile_remote_data_source.dart
│ │ │ ├── models/
│ │ │ │ └── user_profile_model.dart
│ │ │ └── repositories/
│ │ │ └── profile_repository_impl.dart
│ │ ├── domain/
│ │ │ ├── entities/
│ │ │ │ └── user_profile.dart
│ │ │ ├── repositories/
│ │ │ │ └── profile_repository.dart
│ │ │ └── usecases/
│ │ │ ├── get_user_profile.dart
│ │ │ ├── update_profile.dart
│ │ │ └── get_learning_stats.dart
│ │ └── presentation/
│ │ ├── bloc/
│ │ │ ├── profile_bloc.dart
│ │ │ ├── profile_event.dart
│ │ │ └── profile_state.dart
│ │ ├── screens/
│ │ │ ├── profile_screen.dart
│ │ │ ├── edit_profile_screen.dart
│ │ │ └── achievements_screen.dart
│ │ └── widgets/
│ │ ├── profile_header.dart
│ │ ├── stats_card.dart
│ │ └── achievement_badge.dart
│ │
│ └── dashboard/
│ ├── presentation/
│ │ ├── bloc/
│ │ │ ├── dashboard_bloc.dart
│ │ │ ├── dashboard_event.dart
│ │ │ └── dashboard_state.dart
│ │ ├── screens/
│ │ │ └── dashboard_screen.dart
│ │ └── widgets/
│ │ ├── greeting_header.dart
│ │ ├── continue_learning_card.dart
│ │ ├── recommended_courses.dart
│ │ └── quick_stats.dart
│
├── config/
│ ├── routes/
│ │ ├── app_routes.dart
│ │ └── route_generator.dart
│ └── theme/
│ ├── app_theme.dart
│ └── theme_config.dart
│
└── main.dart
Breaking Down the Key Components
Core Directory
This is your shared toolbox. Everything here can be used by any feature. I keep app-wide constants, reusable widgets, utilities, and base classes here. The important thing is to be strict about what goes in core – only truly shared code belongs here.
Features Directory
Each feature is self-contained. Authentication, courses, content, profile – they're all isolated modules. This makes it easy to work on one feature without accidentally breaking another. Plus, if you ever need to remove a feature, you just delete its folder.
The Three Layers
Data Layer: This talks to the outside world. Remote data sources hit your API, local data sources interact with SQLite or Hive. Models here are just data containers that can be serialized/deserialized.
Domain Layer: Pure business logic. Entities are simple Dart classes with no dependencies. Repositories are abstract interfaces. Use cases are single-purpose operations like "Get All Courses" or "Enroll in Course."
Presentation Layer: Everything Flutter. BLoC manages state, screens are the full-page views, and widgets are the reusable UI components specific to this feature.
State Management: Why BLoC?
I tried a few different state management solutions, and BLoC won for a few reasons:
- It enforces separation of business logic and UI
- It's testable – you can test BLoCs without any Flutter dependencies
- It handles complex async operations well
- The DevTools are excellent for debugging
Here's a simple example of what a BLoC looks like:
class CourseBloc extends Bloc<CourseEvent, CourseState> {
final GetAllCourses getAllCourses;
final EnrollInCourse enrollInCourse;
CourseBloc({
required this.getAllCourses,
required this.enrollInCourse,
}) : super(CourseInitial()) {
on<LoadCoursesEvent>(_onLoadCourses);
on<EnrollInCourseEvent>(_onEnrollInCourse);
}
Future<void> _onLoadCourses(
LoadCoursesEvent event,
Emitter<CourseState> emit,
) async {
emit(CourseLoading());
final result = await getAllCourses();
result.fold(
(failure) => emit(CourseError(message: failure.message)),
(courses) => emit(CoursesLoaded(courses: courses)),
);
}
}
Clean, testable, and easy to understand.
Database Strategy
For an LMS, you need both local and remote data. Here's my approach:
Remote: Firebase Firestore or a REST API. Firestore is great because it syncs automatically and scales well. REST gives you more control.
Local: Hive for lightweight storage (user preferences, cached course data) and SQLite for complex queries (offline course content, search functionality).
The data layer abstracts this completely. Your business logic doesn't care where data comes from.
Designing the Minimalist UI
Now for the fun part. Here's how I approached each major screen:
Login Screen
Simple. Email field, password field, login button. That's it. Maybe a "Forgot password?" link at the bottom. The background can be your brand color with a subtle gradient, but keep it calm. No animations that distract from the task at hand.
Dashboard
This is your students' home. I organized it like this:
- Greeting header: "Good morning, Sarah" with their profile picture
- Continue learning card: Big, prominent card showing their last watched lesson with a play button
- Progress overview: Simple stats like "3/5 courses completed" with minimal circular progress indicators
- Recommended courses: Horizontal scrollable list of course cards
The key is visual hierarchy. The continue learning card should be the most prominent element.
Course List
Grid or list view – let users toggle. Each course card shows:
- Course thumbnail
- Title
- Instructor name
- Duration
- Progress (if enrolled)
Keep the cards clean with plenty of padding. Use subtle shadows, not heavy borders.
Course Detail
This is where students decide to enroll. You need:
- Hero image or video preview
- Course title and instructor
- Short description
- What students will learn (bullet points)
- Course content (expandable lesson list)
- Enroll button (sticky at bottom on mobile)
Use collapsible sections so the screen doesn't feel overwhelming.
Video Player
Full-screen by default. Controls appear on tap and fade out. Progress bar, play/pause, 10-second skip buttons, playback speed, and quality selector. That's all you need.
Add a "Mark as complete" button that appears when the video finishes.
Profile
Simple stats dashboard:
- Courses enrolled
- Courses completed
- Total learning time
- Achievements/badges
Then settings and account options below.
Technical Implementation Details
Dependency Injection
Use get_it for dependency injection. Set it up in a separate file:
final sl = GetIt.instance;
Future<void> init() async {
// BLoCs
sl.registerFactory(() => CourseBloc(
getAllCourses: sl(),
enrollInCourse: sl(),
));
// Use cases
sl.registerLazySingleton(() => GetAllCourses(sl()));
sl.registerLazySingleton(() => EnrollInCourse(sl()));
// Repository
sl.registerLazySingleton<CourseRepository>(
() => CourseRepositoryImpl(
remoteDataSource: sl(),
localDataSource: sl(),
),
);
// Data sources
sl.registerLazySingleton<CourseRemoteDataSource>(
() => CourseRemoteDataSourceImpl(client: sl()),
);
}
Error Handling
Create a Failure class hierarchy:
abstract class Failure {
final String message;
Failure(this.message);
}
class ServerFailure extends Failure {
ServerFailure(String message) : super(message);
}
class CacheFailure extends Failure {
CacheFailure(String message) : super(message);
}
class NetworkFailure extends Failure {
NetworkFailure(String message) : super(message);
}
Use the Either type from dartz package to handle results:
Future<Either<Failure, List<Course>>> getAllCourses();
This forces you to handle both success and failure cases.
Offline Support
This is crucial for an LMS. Students might not always have internet.
- Cache course lists and details locally
- Download video content for offline viewing
- Queue actions (like marking lessons complete) when offline
- Sync when connection returns
Use connectivity_plus to detect network status and implement a sync manager.
Animation and Transitions
Minimalist doesn't mean boring. Use subtle animations:
- Hero transitions between course list and detail screens
- Fade transitions for most navigation
- Slide animations for sheets and modals
- Subtle scale on button presses
- Smooth scroll animations in lists
Keep duration between 200-300ms. Longer feels sluggish, shorter feels jarring.
Color Palette Example
Here's a simple, modern palette:
class AppColors {
static const primary = Color(0xFF6366F1); // Indigo
static const secondary = Color(0xFF8B5CF6); // Purple
static const accent = Color(0xFF10B981); // Green for success/completion
static const background = Color(0xFFFAFAFA);
static const surface = Color(0xFFFFFFFF);
static const error = Color(0xFFEF4444);
static const textPrimary = Color(0xFF1F2937);
static const textSecondary = Color(0xFF6B7280);
static const textDisabled = Color(0xFF9CA3AF);
static const divider = Color(0xFFE5E7EB);
}
Typography
Use a modern sans-serif. Inter, SF Pro, or Roboto work great:
class AppTextStyles {
static const h1 = TextStyle(
fontSize: 32,
fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
height: 1.2,
color: AppColors.textPrimary,
);
static const h2 = TextStyle(
fontSize: 24,
fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
height: 1.3,
color: AppColors.textPrimary,
);
static const body = TextStyle(
fontSize: 16,
fontWeight: FontWeight.normal,
height: 1.5,
color: AppColors.textPrimary,
);
static const bodySmall = TextStyle(
fontSize: 14,
fontWeight: FontWeight.normal,
height: 1.4,
color: AppColors.textSecondary,
);
}
Testing Strategy
Don't skip testing. Here's my approach:
Unit tests: Test all use cases and BLoCs. These are fast and catch logic bugs.
Widget tests: Test individual widgets and screens. Make sure UI works as expected.
Integration tests: Test complete user flows. Login → Browse courses → Enroll → Watch video → Mark complete.
Aim for 80%+ code coverage on business logic.
Performance Optimization
- Lazy load images: Use cached_network_image package
- Paginate lists: Don't load all courses at once
- Optimize builds: Use const constructors everywhere possible
- Dispose properly: Clean up controllers and streams
- Profile regularly: Use Flutter DevTools to find bottlenecks
Deployment Checklist
Before launching:
- [ ] Test on multiple devices and screen sizes
- [ ] Handle all error states gracefully
- [ ] Implement proper loading states
- [ ] Add analytics (Firebase Analytics or Mixpanel)
- [ ] Set up crash reporting (Sentry or Firebase Crashlytics)
- [ ] Optimize app size (remove unused assets, use deferred loading)
- [ ] Test offline functionality thoroughly
- [ ] Implement proper security (API keys, authentication tokens)
- [ ] Add onboarding flow for new users
- [ ] Create app store screenshots and descriptions
Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
Start with MVP features: Don't try to build everything at once. Get login, course browsing, and video playback working first. Add quizzes, discussions, and certificates later.
Design is iterative: Your first design won't be perfect. Get feedback early and often. I redesigned the dashboard three times before it felt right.
Test on real devices: The simulator lies. Scrolling that feels smooth on a simulator might be janky on a real device.
Think about edge cases: What happens when a student loses internet mid-video? When their subscription expires? When a course is unpublished while they're watching it? Handle these gracefully.
Keep the codebase clean: It's tempting to take shortcuts when you're moving fast. Don't. Technical debt compounds quickly. Refactor regularly.
Wrapping Up
Building an LMS is a big project, but breaking it down makes it manageable. Focus on the architecture first – get your layers and folder structure right. Then build feature by feature, always keeping the user experience front and center.
The minimalist approach isn't about doing less work – it's about being intentional with every design decision. Every button, every screen transition, every piece of text should have a purpose.
Start small, iterate fast, and always keep the student's learning journey at the heart of your design decisions. The best LMS app is the one that gets out of the way and lets students focus on learning.
Now go build something great.
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