UITabBarController for main & about views?

Question

I have two screens on my app that I want to present to users, the first is the main screen and the second is an about screen, brief instructions / credits. Currently I have this setup as a UITabBarController with two buttons and two views. Is this approach acceptable?

Answer 1

The place to look for an answer is Apple's docs:

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/featuredarticles/ViewControllerPGforiPhoneOS/TabBarControllers/TabBarControllers.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40007457-CH102-SW1

A tab bar interface is useful in situations where you want to provide different perspectives on the same set of data or in situations where you want to organize your application along functional lines. The key component of a tab bar interface is the presence of a tab bar view along the bottom of the screen. This view is used to initiate the navigation between your application’s different modes and can also convey information about the state of each mode.

In your case, you are trying to organize along functional lines. There isn't a right or wrong answer here. I think it comes down to whether or not there is a simpler way to do this that is easier for users to navigate. It's hard to answer that without playing with the application. But, I would suggest getting a few users to play with your app while you look over their shoulder. Don't say anything and watch how they interact. Notice things if they get stuck anywhere and then think more about the design in those areas.

If the users are spending a majority of their time on one screen and don't commonly want to switch to the other screen, the TabBar may be a bit of overkill. You might just be able to use a modal view for the second screen.