Data models as a rapid prototyping method for modeling the mobile user experience
While a lot has been done recently in terms of simplifying and speeding up the design and construction of graphical representations of user interfaces of the desired mobile device, little attention has been paid to running and testing the interactive prototypes on the actual mobile devices at the early stage in the design process. The latter is either associated with extensive programming and development which incurs higher costs and therefore a smaller number of longer iteration cycles, or simulating interaction by means that do not appropriately fit the mobile scenario.
Significant savings in time, effort and cost can be achieved by specifying the layouts for user interfaces and their interaction using data models (a set of image-based scenes and controls responsible for the flow between the scenes) that are loaded directly onto mobile devices and automatically rebuilt into functional prototypes so that the involved stakeholders can actually feel, experience, work through, play with and test the design and functionality of the mobile application.
Quickly and effectively specifying and updating the data models is crucial to the success of this approach. Due to time and resource constraints, I am unable to develop such a vital application from scratch, at this moment. Instead of that, people can employ an already existing similar application, Flowella (http://www.forum.nokia.com/info/sw.nokia.com/id/7557c13f-0b43-4805-85ce-8414bfbade57/Flowella.html), for the definition and packaging of the data models in combination with my own Android application FUIP (Functional User Interface Prototypes) for loading and testing of the data models on the actual mobile devices.
