GIMP Magazine - Issue 1. What is good API design? « Inviting Epiphany. Some say that API design is one of the hardest things in programming. A few even go as far as to say you should have at least 10 years of experience to even attempt it. While I think this process can be sped up almost an order of magnitude by good mentorship, at one time or another we’ve all suffered under the API of an inexperienced programmer. Though, this does raise the question: what exactly is it about building libraries that can take up to 10 years to learn? I was lucky in that I got a strict API education early on. His philosophy, which was never explicitly stated, I call 90-9-.9. Finally, there’s the unmentioned .1% who you’ll never make happy because they’re mistaken about the capabilities of your product. A great example of this is Atalasoft’s barcode product.
When I first saw this it seemed like bad design. Now, for the past two years I’ve been in charge of the APIs at Bayard Rock, a completely different kind of company. So, what is good API design? Hand-drawn web design. Execution Interaction Cues, 3. The best interface is no interface. The actual work-flow of the NFC enabled Google Wallet is actually already much simpler than what you present. 1. Unlock phone, 2. Tap NFC enabled payment device with your phone, 3. Wallet auto starts, enter Wallet PIN, 4. Pay using default payment method" @Matthew: Thanks.
I didn't know that you could activate the Google NFC app by tapping your smartphone to an NFC receiver. That's interesting. The opportunity for No UI in automobiles is ripe, and already pretty rich. @Nate Thanks! Great writeup. @Kurt: Thanks. Absolutely love this article. @Mike: Thanks for your comment and passing along the article. Great article, I agree we don't always need a digital interface. @Rachel: Thanks! I think the call to simplify and remove interfaces when they're not needed is great, and I would love to see more designs come out that allow me to fluidly interact with the complexities of the real world. You just joined the world's greats!
@Sunil: I'm speechless. Interesting thoughts. Interesting article.