My notes on prototyping applications in swift
Introduction:
- Creating a modern app is hard. You have to implement DarkMode, and support many different sizes and many different versions of iOS. It quickly gets out of hand.
- It’s even harder to modernize legacy apps with a lot of spagethi code all over the place
- So regardless if you making or upgrading an app it’s smart to begin from the start, and build a prototype in code, that you later can add more complex code on top. You also get the benefit of having everything fresh in mind so you can use this intimate but ephemeral knowledge and move quickly when implementing the more complex functionality on top.
Problem:
- App projects seems daunting
- So many requirements
- So high expectations
- So little time and resources to use
Solution:
- Build a mock app. With fake data and fake graphics
- Focus on how the app works, not understanding and implementing complex API’s
- Focus on getting the spacing and interactions right
- Since mock-data is always simpler to code, the codebase remain easy to experiment with
- Once your happy with how the app feels, Start adding more complex logic and Api’s and cover side effects
- Begin with the simplest elements you can make. Squares with color and lay these out for the important views, then slowly add text and UI elements, then start refining the interactions etc
- Begin with new drawing sticks and a blank canvas is always more motivating
- ✨ Another approach ✨ is to make small modules of the app first. Nurture them to fruition individually before you load them into the mothership. If each part is awesome, then the sum will also be awesome. if you start with the sum. Its hard to stay motivated looking at all the not so awesome parts.