The Ides of March were a time of gloom for Julius Caesar, but June 1st marks a time of joy for Microsoft. According to the BBC, Microsoft has now released Windows 8 for download preview.
Windows 8, which marks a new trend, is more geared toward tablet and mobile user interfaces. But, as shown by their demonstration video online, it also functions with normal desktop computers. When I was learning more about it, I wondered about compatibility and if Android or tablet apps were compatible with it. If not, we might start seeing a lot of people converting apps into a compatible form (or seeing new ones appear.) If I were to do design it though, I would probably use prototyping software.
Prototyping software
Prototyping software is used to design prototypes. In our case, prototype refers to an interface prototype that visualizes what the user interface will look like and how the individual screens will connect. Prototyping software is a tool to achieve this. Your prototype however will not possess actual functionality like the actual application will. A wireframe can also be considered a prototype, though wireframes are often of low-fidelity and include no visual/graphic design.
The nice thing about prototyping software is that it helps people design apps. Some types of prototyping software allow you to test the application on the end device itself. That way, you could tell if the app would work or not – and identify any issues that might need changing based on practical experience with the prototype.
Windows 8 looks interesting and certainly different than anything Microsoft has done before. I will be curious to see how users interact with it and enjoy using it.