Apple's report to shareholders in January 1984, when the mac was
published, displayed prominently a quote from Steve Jobs: 'Simplicity
is the ultimate sophistication' (whether it is originally from him or
somewhere else, I don't know. Anyone?).
...
I think that (regardless of troubles and sidetracks) Apple has
understood and has been following that philosophy more consistently
than any other actor in the industry, and has also changed the
reality of computer use for everyone (by showing example, by feeding
innovation through better platforms, by educating developers like
Microsoft, by forcing competition to react,...). I do not want to
promote apple; I just want to support the point of the 'parable'
below, and offer an example where a simple (pun intended) design
philosophy has been successful in supporting actual design.
...
In more general terms, I think software is essentially abstraction of
life (very poor and limited as it is), and an increasingly important
area of design. Designers who design software or with software or for
people depending on software, need to be very fluent in operating
with abstractions - there is a growing connection and dependence
between the practice and reality of design and abstractions of all
sorts.
I find that one of the great hurdles for many designers, hurting
their ability to really take advantage of and pursue innovation with
digital technology, is a tendency to focus on the features of the
device instead of the features of the software - the abstraction that
actually runs the machine.
Although a lot of software design is very down-to-earth practical,
many future breakthroughs in the trade may emerge from a better
understanding of phenomena and processes in everyday life, expressed
or organized with the help of useful abstractions.
...some connections between the abstract and the practical...
kari-hans
...
At 10:38 +1000 27.9.2002, davidsless wrote:
>Glenn
>
>> Back to David's point on abstraction, Hoare's view might deserve better
>> attention. http://dsv.su.se/%7Ejpalme/s1/hoare.pdf
>
>
>I had not come across A R Hoare before. A man after my own heart!
>
>I could not resist copying the penultimate paragraph of his 'Parable' for
>the enjoyment (I hope) of others on this list.
>
>________
>The pursuit of
>complexity is easy, and the implementation of
>complexity can safely be delegated to
>competent managers. But the pursuit of
>simplicity is one of the most difficult and
>challenging activities of the human mind.
>Progress is likely to be extremely slow, where
>each complexity eliminated must be hailed as
>a breakthrough. We need not only brilliance
>of intellect but breadth of experience, nicety
>of judgement, excellence of taste, and even
>more than our fair share of good luck. And
>finally we need a puritanical rejection of the
>temptations of features and facilities, and a
>passionate devotion to the principles of
>purity, simplicity and elegance.
>__________
>
>This was written about software design in 1975.
>
>SOFTWARE DESIGN: A PARABLE
>PROFESSOR C. A. R. HOARE, University of Belfast
>(From Software World, Vol. 5, Nos. 9 & 10, 1975, pp 53-56)
|