High-fidelity prototypes for the iPhone and the iPad

The two applications are developed as high-fidelity prototypes with Objective-C. Objective- C is a programming language from Apple and a lot of Apple Products are developed with Objective-C. The programming environment is Xcode and in Xcode there is also an interface builder and a simulator for the iPhone and iPad. The touch screen functionality are realised with Cocoa Touch. Retrospectively the application developing system have a steep learning curve and is in general too complex to create high- fidelity prototypes in a design process such as the user-centered design process. However, there are no other tools to create high- fidelity prototypes, which is a prototype with a high correspondence/ adherence to intended final product (Cagan, 2008). There are ways to create an iPhone and an iPad application for example with Adobe Flash or some browser based application such as Axure, but finally they did not offer the same look and feel as the application developed with Xcode and Objective-C have. It will be interesting to see if Apple will offer in the future tools to create quick and easy high-fidelity prototypes such as Adobe Fireworks or Axure. So the design process would be more effective and productive. [See blog: First steps in Objective-C, Second steps in Objective-C, Third step in Objective-C, Fourth step in Objective-C, Fifth step in Objektive-C]

In addition to Xcode and Objective-C, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator had to be learned to realise the applications. 

Cagan, M., 2008. High-Fidelity Prototypes. Available at: http://www.svproduct.com/high-fidelity-prototypes/ [Accessed 9 March 2011].