Comments on: What I’d Tell Myself About Design If I Were Just Beginning

By: Steven

Steven — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:00:34 +0000

Excellent write up! Now to spread this link to others…

By: Chris Wash

Chris Wash — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:19:41 +0000

@Justin – thanks for your feedback. Design becomes a lot easier when you stop being afraid of getting things wrong and you focus on just trying to make refinements continually. I think it’s a Zen-like state of mind… which is why I like the Basho quote so much at the end. Applies to more than just design, too.

By: Chris Wash

Chris Wash — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:17:02 +0000

@Mr. Hericus -
Thanks for your comment – As far as the final key items, I guess my point was a little too subtle: it was the post itself, with all of its musings and seemingly tangential concepts. I would want myself to just read this post and take from it what I would. I don’t think I’d necessarily want to read everything I’ve got my hands on because much of it is written from the perspective that BUFD is a given. I’m not so sure I’d want to spend time rereading a lot of that stuff. Definitely the things I’ve linked into the post I’d like to keep (and there are some great links in those links as well) – and I agree that there would be a lot to read. But by and large I’d want to remember to focus on design as an attitude or state of mind, rather than an end goal or title to be acquired.

Thanks again!

By: Justin Bleach

Justin Bleach — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:12:38 +0000

Enjoyed reading this because while I enjoyed learning the fundamental theory of developing in college there was never enough time to delve in-depth into what’s really important; how you craft your solution. (Like most kids overloaded with work I just did what would get me the good grade.)

I think even though we have all these resources to learn great design I agree it’s something that has to continually be talked about because no one does the same thing the same way all the time and it’s easy to get stuck in something you find works “most” of the time.

I’ll stop before I get too philosophical.

By: Mr. Hericus

Mr. Hericus — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:03:40 +0000

Well thought out, and good summary of the current movement in software development. So what were your final key items that you would want to remember if you lost everything else? I think your final list is good, but I’d also add:

Read everything you can first, and read as much of other people’s code as you can first, and then go back and re-read all of the design books again. Distill down to the essence, and then begin.

Thanks for the post!