The initial view will allow the user to go to the home page or select a random article. We have gotten numerous comments about not requiring the initial content to download before a search is initiated. Of course, we could show the initial content while also showing search activated.
Since content is downloaded asynchronously, and there's no modal spinner, I don't understand this objection. You can start a search as soon as you like... right?
Exactly.
I think this is one of the aspects, where the "one unified mobile UI" thing jsut doesn't work. For a website it's kind of hard to download stuff asynchronously if it should stay simple. Also people don't expect it from a website. But for an app, it's totally different. The users knows that the app can download the content while you already can type a search. Also the app should be usable instantly - waiting for some content to download is not as acceptable as in a website.
I suggest there should be a discussion on the launch experience: What does the user get after starting? We all agree there should be a search box, I think, but everything else is still undecided. "Article of the day"? A home page? Something else? Same experience on mobile web as in an app? Different? Same on all platforms of apps?
If this is decided and defined, you can start to build the flow.
-J