XCode 5 doesn’t allow you to start a project without a storyboard, but storyboards are not appropriate for every project. Storyboards may not be a good fit for large apps or projects with multiple developers collaborating through Git or SVN. Luckily, there is a simple way to set up a project to use Nib files instead:

*** Click on the images below to view a larger version ***

  1. Create a new project with a Single View Application template xcode creat a new project
  2. Fill in the project name, identifier, etc and save it. xcode new project setup
  3. In the project navigator, delete the storyboard file. Choose “Move to Trash” in the dialog box. xcode delete the storyboard
  4. In the project navigator, open the Supporting Files folder and click on your project plist file to open it. Remove the “Main storyboard file base name” by clicking the minus icon on that row of the plist. If this entry is missing, then you don’t need to do anything. xcode remove storyboard reference from plist
  5. In the project navigator, right-click the main project folder and choose “New File…” xcode new file
  6. select ios > User Interface and choose a View template. xcode add a nib xib file
  7. Give it the same name as your main view controller and click “Create” xcode name your new nib file
  8. open the new NIB file and click on File’s Owner in the document outline. xcode connect files owner
  9. in the Utilities panel on the right, choose the Identity Inspector and select your ViewController class in the dropdown list. xcode set the class for the nib files owner
  10. Right-click the root view in the document outline to open the Connections popup. Then click and drag from the New Referencing Outlet to the File’s Owner. Another popup will appear. Click on the word “view.” xcode connect the root view of your nib file to the files owner
  11. Finally, update the application:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: method with this code:
    - (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
        // Override point for customization after application launch.
        self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds]];
        MainViewController *viewController = [[MainViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"MainViewController" bundle:nil];
        self.window.rootViewController = viewController;
        [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];
        return YES;
    }

    xcode add code to launch view controller with nib in app delegate

Now, build your project and run it. Voila! you’re done! I mostly grabbed these instructions from this link, but added some more detail and screenshots for those of us who are not Xcode experts. Happy Coding!