NY: Camp iPhone Report

I was able to attend two sessions, one on user experience/interaction design and the other on business models. Most agree that the UI conventions employed on the device are well thought out and user-friendly, but there's a lot to consider when designing an iPhone app and there are still some areas where there is room for improvement. UX designers will want to think carefully about balancing the intuitive standards they need with some unique elements that differentiate and improve on the core app set.

The interface builder emerged as a hot topic for its promise of WYSIWYG development for the non-coder. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near ready.  

There are still a lot of unanswered questions about Apple's app store. There is also a great deal of enthusiasm about its potential to improve the mobile app economy. Most developers seemed to like the idea of iTunes for apps. In particular, developers seem to like the idea of setting their own prices. If the opinions of the Dev Camp discussion's participants prove an accurate gauge, we can expect to see most apps released at somewhere between free and $15 dollars.

Dan Neumann