Going Mobile...but how in the world was it made?

I was talking with a friend this past week who is creating a mobile application as an assignment for her co-op placement. The application's purpose, in my mind and through my perspective, isn't as important as how she is making it. Or, at least, I was more interested in and curious about that aspect. While reading part of Matthew Fuller's Behind the Blip: Software as Culture, I instantly thought of this conversation due to his discussion of and explication on the Human-Computer Interface (HCI). According to Fuller, "The way the computer makes available such use, and the assumptions made about what possible interactions might develop, are both fundamentally cultural" (12). This idea of the computer providing various possibilities for its use as well as the preconceived notions of how it will be used is culturally intuitive; as a result, it is no wonder that although the application my friend is creating is not on an actual desktop, the ways in which society has advanced technologically and culturally allows for it to apply in this situation as well.

Whenever I am using a mobile application, I will admit that I do not, except on rare occasions, think about how they are made. I think many people are like that with any application or software program, which is interesting to think about. Yet, during my conversation with her, she showed me how she is making the application, which ironically enough, is through another kind of mobile software. Yet, even with that, neither of us ever see what the device is truly coding or how it is responding and/or reading the actions that we would take to create the mobile application. Instead, all we see is a user-friendly interface similar to mini slides where we can add text, images, video, and audio. This relates to Fuller's idea that "software...contains models of involvement with processes rather than simply with static elements" (14). Not only are we able to include elements that are interactive to the user after the application has been created, but we are also able to interact with each element and the 'slides' themselves during the creation process.

Since we are not able to see how the computer or, in this case, the cell phone reads or codes each interaction the creator makes in terms of the application, there is unfortunately a problem and limitation with its composition. Fuller states, "We need ways of thinking into and activating this process of becoming, rather than some "kinder" or more "creative" design" (15). I really like this statement and idea of placing more focus and emphasis on a sense of becoming, even learning in a sense, rather than a more user-friendly design. This reminds me of the program Adobe Dreamweaver, which allows for both interfaces; the user is able to choose whether he/she would like to see nothing but the html/css code, the way the website will actually look, or the split screen showcasing both. It would be great if other software programs, including the one that my friend is using to create the mobile application could do something similar--combining that sense of becoming, creativity, and user-friendliness into one big (or small) package.