Hmm, you're right. If anything, software is like a set of chords that the end user can progress through at their own pace, rhythm, and order. As much as I'd like for the analogy to work, software development is not songwriting.

Same with the implication that Bret Victor encourages designers to dive into code first. He's spent years prototyping tools to empower designers to create dynamic systems with direct manipulation tools (see Inventing on Principle).

Totally agree. Static mockups aren't necessarily bad, but they don't tell the whole story.

Delivering just static mockups is like writing a song and just sharing the chord progression. The rhythm and phrasing are left to wide interpretation.

This was inspired by one small section of Oliver Reichenstein's Learning to See, which is a dense and worthwhile read.

Fair question. I love using Pixate and Origami to prototype interactions (Framer looks great as well). These tools are great for prototyping a specific flavor of app interface, but I feel funneled towards the same solutions most of the time. Much of that has to do with limited creativity on my part, I admit.

Then I see interfaces in games like Hearthstone and Monument Valley, and I want to try making something that pushes the boundaries more than adjusting a spring transition.

Utility and usability aside, I'm wondering if Unity would make for a nice playground.

Here's mine: https://soundcloud.com/bleeharper

I haven't posted in a while but have always wanted to continue the Brews Brothers project.

I love the map-like interface (click-drag to grab and scroll to zoom) used for something that's not a geographical map. Any idea how one would go about building something like this?

I love that you jumped directly into Xcode to prototype this. Inspiring to know that it's possible.

Thanks, Nathan. I have used GitHub for Mac and Sourcetree at previous jobs, and I love being able to see those things in a friendlier interface. However, if/when things get hairy and I need to call a developer over, they're usually more comfortable using the command-line to explain and fix things.

I've always had the nagging urge to contribute directly to projects as a designer but didn't know where to start. My fellow developers at stable/kernel have been kind enough to guide me through the first steps, and I wanted to share what they've taught me so far.