iPhone and the SDK

Apple, Inc. today released a beta version of their Software Developer Kit for iPhone. I always get excited about Apple events, and news about great new releases and developments from Apple.

Now, you are probably wondering how this relates to design, or more specifically, ProGravix.

Well, it doesn't.

Okay, so maybe it does a little. Developers (in most cases "programmers") and designers are two completely different breeds. It's almost impossible to find someone that is a very creative designer that also has a rich knowledge of programming and back-end environments. I for one have always hated programming (and by rules or polarity, love design).

The great news about this SDK is that it gives these developers all the tools they need to create robust, enterprise grade applications for iPhone and iPod Touch. (This would be like asking Dreaweaver to create all your graphics, and code in HTML, as well. Just won't happen.) So, hopefully in June we will see hundreds, if not thousands, of applications for iPhone and iPod Touch. I'm personally excited for an AIM client.

So, getting back to how this relates to ProGravix. Well, we always shied away from anything involving programming... so much so that we turned down very lucrative offers. We always believed that we were designers first and foremost, and that we should focus purely on that. Our customer's thought differently.

I personally have taught myself PHP, mySQL, Java, JS, and enough ASP to cause trouble. It was a daunting task, but turned out to be very beneficial. Now, I won't be calling myself an expert anytime soon, but at least my toes are slightly damp. We've already revamped our online billing and estimating system using PHP. Hopefully we will be able to translate this all into a richer proofing and artwork accessibility program. In the meantime, I think we are doing pretty well (and much further along) than any of our competitors.