Example shelf
Onboarding that respects you
Twelve first-run experiences that ask for almost nothing.
Why this exists
I collected these while rebuilding Shelf's first launch. Every one of them earns something before it asks for something.
The notes matter more than the screenshots. Without them this is just a folder of pictures.
The shelf
Kept, with a reason.
Screenshot · linear.app
An empty state that teaches
One sentence, one action. No tour, no checklist.
Article · Long read
On first-run design
The line about deferring account creation changed the whole flow.
Note · Shelf note
Ask fewer questions up front
Written after the fourth attempt. Still the rule.
Publishing shelves from the Mac app is still being built. This page shows the shape a published shelf will take.
Other shelves
Shelf V3 is out now
Shelf V3 is the current build. Shelf does not use automatic updates, so download the latest build here and install it over your current version.
This is intentional. Shelf is built around a local-first, privacy-focused philosophy. An automatic updater requires additional background processes, network connections, update infrastructure, and another system with permission to modify the app. We prefer to keep Shelf’s network footprint and background activity as small as possible.
Manual updates keep the process explicit: Shelf only checks the internet when a feature actually needs it, and you decide when a new version is downloaded and installed.