Architects know that some kinds of design problems are more personal than others. One of the cleanest, most abstract design problems is designing bridges. There your job is largely a matter of spanning a given distance with the least material. The other end of the spectrum is designing chairs. Chair designers have to spend their time thinking about human butts.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Design problems range from abstract efficiency to human ergonomics. Software design, like chairs, requires thinking about the user experience.
- In plain terms
- Software design is like designing chairs, not bridges; it requires focusing on human needs rather than just efficiency.
- What can you take from it?
- Design requires empathy for the user, not just technical precision.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who are you designing for?
- Is your solution efficient or usable?
Another view
Technical constraints sometimes override human comfort in critical systems.
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