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authorWilliam Carroll <wpcarro@gmail.com>2020-03-02T13·09+0000
committerWilliam Carroll <wpcarro@gmail.com>2020-03-02T13·09+0000
commit22d70b52c9780e7de7f9c58da33e94bae9119b89 (patch)
tree84fb5030a0a8a982868981e403c5c9172b5f0468 /org/essays.org
parent6eb239dcce6b4cba879acdc9f592eef38de7101e (diff)
Read Paul Graham article "Taste for Makers"
I'm considering this essay one of my favorites from Paul Graham. The essay
argues that good taste and bad taste exist. Graham argues against relativism in
design and cites a variety of examples of architecture, typography, writing,
sketching, painting, aircraft design, and others that bolster his opinion.

TL;DR - Design should strive to be:
- Simple: Prefer simplicity to complexity when possible.
- Timeless: Design today for tomorrow by pleasing yesterday.
- Pointed: Focus always on the problem; don't work for work's sake.
- Suggestive: Constrain usage without suffocating the user.
- Humorous: Prefer light-heartedness to sobriety.
- Difficult: "Good design" is takes time, effort, and tremendous skill.
- Ostensibly effortless: Solutions should look obviously correct.
- Symmetric Appreciate symmetry.
- Natural: In nature, form ever follows function.
- Iterative: Write; rewrite; rewrite; rewrite; throw away; write; publish.
- Imitative: Be confident enough to copy others' existing, beautiful ideas.
- Communal: Pay attention to "Schelling points" and join the party. Don't be the
  Milanese Da Vinci.
- Fearless: Question the status quo; expect others to challenge your solution.
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 * TODO Revenge of the Nerds
 * TODO Succinctness is Power
 * TODO What Languages Fix
-* TODO Taste for Makers
+* DONE Taste for Makers
 * TODO Why Arc Isn't Especially Object-Oriented
 * TODO What Made Lisp Different
 * TODO The Other Road Ahead