Experience Prototyper – Software

Next Gen Computing (NGC) develops new concepts and capabilities for Apple products. The team brings expertise in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software design, and interaction design, enabling it to build fully functional prototypes that inform decisions across Apple. From rapid proofs of concept to live-on platforms distributed to dozens of internal users for longer durations, we can take an exploration as far as needed to enable our colleagues and stakeholders to get a hands-on feel for an experience instead of just an idea. We work across a variety of product lines and work regularly with engineering, design, and human factors functions to realize our work as clearly as possible. Our team offers a unique opportunity to inform the future of Apple products.

Description
Experience prototypers combine skills in user experience design and software development to explore new product design spaces across the Apple ecosystem. Through deep collaboration with hardware/software engineers and designers, they architect and build interactive prototypes, connecting product concepts to technical feasibility to bring abstract ideas to life. They operate comfortably in ambiguity to build everything from rapid mock-ups to polished interactions. They are able to frame their explorations with human-centered design language and visual artifacts, share their work with collaborators and stakeholders, and synthesize their findings to turn building into shared learning.

Responsibilities
Architect, develop, and iterate on prototypes to explore and validate opportunities within new product design spaces
Design and build interactive prototypes of new interaction models and user interfaces, with strong aesthetic and design sensibility
Modify Apple’s UI frameworks and core OS components to add support for prototype hardware sensors and actuators
Partner closely with hardware and systems engineers to inform hardware architecture, and to ensure necessary integration with custom hardware platforms
Communicate design intent and architecture decisions clearly through sketches, storyboards, scenarios, and technical block diagrams
Document prototypes thoughtfully with video and other means
Synthesize findings and reflections into a coherent story, contextualizing and framing the work as appropriate for different audiences at Apple

Minimum qualifications
5+ years of experience with native UI development for iOS, macOS, or similar platforms using Swift, C, Objective-C, or C++
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science/computer engineering, or equivalent career experience
Fluency with interaction design methods: concept sketching/diagramming, problem framing, visual storytelling
Natural curiosity and intuitive desire to quickly build something tangible to explore an idea
Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new technologies, tools, and domains, and to adapt your skillset as project needs evolve

Preferred qualifications
Dynamic range necessary to work effectively at different levels of refinement, from scrappy to polished
Comfort with ambiguity, open-ended exploration, and far-out ideas
Attention to the functional and aesthetic details of user interface design, and consideration of human factors
Familiarity with common hardware sensors, digital signal processing, gesture detection, or firmware development
Experience with graphical animations, motion design, or GPU shader programming
Familiarity with generative AI workflows