The British Navy last century has been described as "a system designed by geniuses to be run by idiots". Good designs are like that. They incorporate clarity, consistency, and economy, while offering safety in dangerous circumstances through appropriate default behavior. Good designs provide paths which novices can follow to develop expertise and veterans can race along to reach their goals. The best designs have a natural feel that makes them a pleasure to use. Brilliant designs become transparent — invisible, forgotten, like a sheer fabric that accents rather than obscures, or a frame that makes a painting more beautiful.
Saturday, August 28, 1999 at 08:35:06 (EDT) = 1999-08-28
(correlates: IdiocyAmelioration, LongTails, MissedManners, ...)