I really think of minimalism in software in two different areas.
Performance: Using the minimal set of resources for the code to operate successfully.
Design: The minimal architecture to complete the task without overcomplicating the system or feature
#DevDiscuss
#devdiscuss Minimalistic approach has helped me design solutions that require less but do more. Sustainable solutions emerge when this approach is taken. When hands change (and they do) then maintaining/updating the solution is easier. More pragmatic.
Keep it as simple as you can. No reservations. Only make it more complicated if you NEED to.
Simple is quicker to write.
Simple is easier to debug.
Simple is easier to explain.
Simple is easier to maintain.
Simple is something you'll appreciate later.
#DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
#devdiscuss I actually like minimalistic design because it allows for focus and mastery in some ways. Minimalism is often confused with little or less of something. But in fact it is trying to achieve more by a basic representation IMO. If enough thought is added much is done.
Minimalism strongly plays a role in security for me. Less "things" mean less things to go wrong. Less code means less security issues in it. Less tooling and dependencies means less auditing and less security issues there. #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
"What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?"
I feel like this is a philosophical question that I have OPINIONS about. lol
#DevDiscusshttps://t.co/IAIVJuzckL
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
Taking more time to make something simpler is time well spent. Don't stop designing when you have something that does the bare minimum needed. Spend extra time and make it simpler with fewer moving parts if you can. You'll thank yourself later. As will others.
#DevDiscuss
#devdiscuss I have strived to be minimalistic in life but its a work in progress. I wouldnt call myself someone who goes overboard but lot of things exist I could do without. they add no value to life. working on it.
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
I like to think about AWS services when I think of minimalism. There is core services (S3, SQS, EC2) that are not simple underneath the hood. But what we consume as developers very much is. I need a queue, make an API call. #DevDiscuss
Underneath that API call is a lot of code, but we get to consume something very simple. Sure it has edge conditions and issues but the idea of simple code is something that does one job and does it well in my mind. #DevDiscuss
I try to write my code as simply and as understandably as possible. People interpret that as me being a beginner, but it's very intentional and something that I've moved toward with more experience.
It's easier to understand and extend.
#DevDiscuss
Minimalismin the context of software development makes me think of agile/lean and MVPs. No need to make things overly complicated right out the gate. Continuous improvement! #DevDiscuss
Or put another way:
Are you a dev?
Do you hate writing documentation?
Think it takes too much time?
Great. Spend more time making your designs simpler so the documentation is shorter and simpler anyway. It'll be less to read when you forget it all later.
#DevDiscuss
Minimalism in practice as a software developer seems to come down to tow things:
- Knowing why less is more
- Being able to express why less is more to other stakeholders
It's not enough to know. You need to know how to get others on board. #DevDiscuss
Agree that Perf is an underrated concern for "minimalism", which is why I really liked the "web brutalist" style for a minute. I find it frustrating when so many sites prioritize minimalism / white space by using molasses-like design systems/frameworks.
#DevDiscuss
I really think of minimalism in software in two different areas.
Performance: Using the minimal set of resources for the code to operate successfully.
Design: The minimal architecture to complete the task without overcomplicating the system or feature
#DevDiscuss
“What do you think of minimalist interface design?”
I think there's a balance. If features get cut/hidden behind menus, minimalism hurts the thing's utility, or hurts UX; good minimalist UI highlights the important pieces while keeping functionality at the forefront. #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
🤔 I don't think that one can TRULY appreciate minimalism without understanding how much bloat can affect your day to day decisions.
The main idea about minimalism that I try to apply in my day to day coding practices is:
"Only stick to what you love and need."
#DevDiscuss
"What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?"
I feel like this is a philosophical question that I have OPINIONS about. lol
#DevDiscusshttps://t.co/IAIVJuzckL
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
Don't overload your software with features if you don't have to. Overload = more work.
Try to see how much of your value proposition you can achieve with just the minimal features.
#DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
One place that truly benefits from minimalist design is smarter search widgets. Do you remember when clicking on advanced search would open a ten-field form for fine tuning? Now we often search multiple APIs simultaneously in one. Beautiful. Bar. #DevDiscuss
If you could import a library with a minimalist API, adding a dependency and unseen code, but does the same thing as "vanilla" code you could write yourself, what do you use?
(assuming the same security/features/testability between the two options)
#DevDiscuss
When it comes to minimalism in design, kudos to the very talented UX/UI folks that make that happen. It's still a magic box to me at times. #DevDiscuss
My philosophy on this is to always use as simple of a solution as possible while being visually appealing if we're talking about UI/UX. In terms of coding, the same applies, but readability and simplicity in code creates a certain elegance. #DevDiscuss
"What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?"
I feel like this is a philosophical question that I have OPINIONS about. lol
#DevDiscusshttps://t.co/IAIVJuzckL
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
When working with clients, it's really important for me to let them know when something is going to cause me to write spaghetti code. That causes a variety of issues from performance to readability. Anytime I haven't, future me is NOT happy debugging my code.
#DevDiscuss
To me minimalism in code is about limiting the responsibilities of functions, classes and components. The less a function is responsible for the easier it is to read, use, reuse, test and validate.
#DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
Agreed. I often discuss with our implementation managers the consequences of certain decisions for design. Often they'll choose the more direct approach after explaining the difficulties involved or that could result. #DevDiscuss
Minimalism –when practiced well or for any good purpose- is less about whitespace and not a ton going on, and more about reducing people's cognitive load.
#DevDiscuss
🤔 I don't think that one can TRULY appreciate minimalism without understanding how much bloat can affect your day to day decisions.
The main idea about minimalism that I try to apply in my day to day coding practices is:
"Only stick to what you love and need."
#DevDiscuss
My personal design style is kind of a weird spin on minimalism. I use a lot of whitespace and try to keep things simple.
But I effing love playing with color.
🌈🎨
#DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
It's kinda funny, I totally agree with this while at the same time thinking "Yeah, and then I have to go to like 20 different files to figure out what the heck this code is doing." LOL #devdiscuss
Minimalism can be obtrusive in code. Code should still be easy to pick up and read without having to spend significant time unpacking it. Let the robots shorten your variable names and perform your optimizations. Keep your raw files verbose and easy to grok. #DevDiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
Reducing cognitive load is an act of compassion. It's really hard, and can veer into bikeshedding quickly, but it also leads to the sort of "magic" experience that I think wins loyal users.
#DevDiscuss
Minimalism –when practiced well or for any good purpose- is less about whitespace and not a ton going on, and more about reducing people's cognitive load.
#DevDiscuss
🤔 I don't think that one can TRULY appreciate minimalism without understanding how much bloat can affect your day to day decisions.
The main idea about minimalism that I try to apply in my day to day coding practices is:
"Only stick to what you love and need."
#DevDiscuss
If you could import a library with a minimalist API, adding a dependency and unseen code, but does the same thing as "vanilla" code you could write yourself, what do you use?
(assuming the same security/features/testability between the two options)
#DevDiscuss
Basically, code that becomes tangled because it's not really scalable or readable. For me, it's also code that is so highly specific that it's really hard to maintain, or breaks at the smallest change.
#DevDiscuss
#DevDiscuss My zero boilerplate framework in action.
This is the source code to the homepage on https://t.co/G88zHMdAlx
No routers to worry about. No classes to inherit. Nothing to extend. No objects to create. Just a few simple method calls + template, and we have a web page.
I've seen this in a few places on the frontend, mostly with regards to jQuery.
Unless a plugin is being used or it's perhaps being touched by users unfamiliar with JavaScript, I'm writing/refactoring it into vanilla, especially if I'm now owning it. #DevDiscuss
Keep it simple. Always. Over-engineering is too prevalent in the industry. Engineers love to be clever because of the challenge, but the real challenge lies in keeping everything as simple as possible. #DevDiscuss
I once had a project requirement to not use jQuery. While I was annoyed at the time, I found that it really helped me to figure out how to do things very concisely in vanilla JavaScript. Now I forget how to do jQuery, but I know the docs are there if I need!
#DevDiscuss
Comparing code ownership to minimalism, if your code is messy and tries to do too much it becomes inefficient, hard to test, and hard to maintain.
Do one job and do it well.
I always try to remember my favorite commercial: "Less Is MORE!" 💩
#DevDiscusshttps://t.co/MkFoIUvTaW
It depends. Do I have time to write it? To break from my poll, do I know enough about the deep/advanced features and functionality to replicate?
It's very well that the library could end up being smaller than something you write, but often times it isn't the case. #DevDiscuss
I remember as an intern being utterly overwhelmed with having to figure out how things worked F12ing back and back and back all the way to the interface. So overwhelming to figure out what made what work at first. Familiarity is king lol #devdiscuss
Even beyond interfaces - Minimalism in terms of what the user has to do to use your app. Too many apps have so many “we do this too!”s in the front page that when I want to just get in, do the “meat n potatoes”, and get out, its 2 min, 30 clicks, and I walk away #DevDiscuss
I think of clean, focused, utilitarian influences in interface that make the user's journey as efficient as possible 🛣
🚨 Important: that doesn't mean under-designed #UI, moreso UI that's so well-designed it feels minimal #devdiscuss
Time for #DevDiscuss
Tonight's topic is... Minimalism
Let's get the discussion started.
- What values of minimalism lead to better software?
- What is your opinion on minimalism as a virtue?
- What do you think of minimalist interface design?
That's a fair argument. Sometimes, I only need a few features from the library, which I suppose is where modules come into play.
However, there's still some boilerplate/initialization code that can be saved by writing your own implementation. E.g. some Lodash methods #DevDiscuss
Love it! I kind of cringe when I see jQuery code that doesn't do anything jQuery-like, that could have easily been done with a document.getElementById() or a little sprinkling of .forEach() or .filter() #DevDiscuss
Minimalism should never be a motivation. If simpler, shorter code makes things more readable then by all means. If a sleeker design makes the site more intuitive or engaging, go for it. But it should always have a purpose, never do things on principle without cause. #DevDiscuss
Don't pre-optimize for unknown edge cases or conditions. Solve the problem at hand, simple, functional, and then iterate when you have more information. #DevDiscuss
Well said. I love rolling my own code for certain things, mostly to get a better understanding on how certain patterns work, or why they're written a certain way.
However, when it comes to things like hashing, cryptography, session mgmt, I'll leave it to the pros. #DevDiscuss
I had to write an SDK recently that needed to use PDFs. I was NOT about to learn the PDF specification from scratch. That was definitely a "use the library" moment. #DevDiscuss
When searching for minimalism in software development, don't be too afraid of "big numbers" as they might intuitively seem. With computers, ten million of a thing might be a minimal number and five of another thing might be big number.
#DevDiscuss
On this topic, don't use a library that implements a one-line function. That's risky and silly in most cases. Unless that one-line function lands in the categories mentioned above. #DevDiscuss
A tweet to print and read before every planning meeting. We have lots of products with useless features because dev teams can’t notice the time to stop has finally arrived, and they create features hard to use & maintain. Look at Instagram, for example. #DevDiscuss
Keep it simple. Always. Over-engineering is too prevalent in the industry. Engineers love to be clever because of the challenge, but the real challenge lies in keeping everything as simple as possible. #DevDiscuss
There is a lot of NPM libraries that are just one line functions that some developers will pull in because then they don't have to write the function. It's important to remember the other things you are buying when you pull in a dependency you do not control. #DevDiscuss
In reply to
@laurieontech, @gdavis92, @mikekavouras
Yeeeeeeeeup. Unless that calls ANOTHER library, it's one of those "I can write this myself" cases.
…unless that line is like 1200 characters long, that is :P #DevDiscuss
I feel like this is sort of cheating because I didn't really have anything to add to tonight's topic, but I'm attending my first tech conference next week! Any tips from the #DevDiscuss crowd?
