I was reading a post the other day, can't quite remember where the issue was "is software Art?".
Probably the typical response to that is no, computer software is utilitarian and thus cannot be construed as Art. But that approach belies a limited view of Art and what constitutes Art. To say something is functional and thus not art is to limit the world of Art significantly, but also to limit the potential and possibilities of the functional world.
Let me explain... take a knife. You can create a knife the "cuts", i.e. is fulfills its function. However, you can also get a knife which _really_ performs its functions. i.e. it is well balanced, has a sharp true blade, has a firm easy to use handle and is aesthetically pleasing. Now, this better knife was not produced only by an engineer using his "engineering" faculties but possibly by an artist type person as well (could have been the same person). Thus artistic elements were introduced. Furthermore, on use, though the simple knife that "cuts" would also fulfill its function - as does the more "arty" knife, anyone who uses both knives would admit the latter knife is better, and not necessarily for a reason that can be defined in merely utilitarian terms - they both "cut".
And to my mind, a similar dynamic occurs in Software.
Have you ever presented your end product to the client and been frustrated that they don't truly appreciate the elegance of the application. Why not? They are simply looking at the software from a functional point of view, i.e. the non art point of view. However, you know that the software is a lot more than just utilitarian. It has an elegance that is hard to explain to people that don't "get it".
The question is, is that elegance non functional? If a picture is beautiful, it does not have any functional value, however, what is interesting about computer software is that elegance follows function. That elegance may not be leveraged now, but in the future, the good design decisions that were taken earlier can easily lend to better functionality later. When I look at a good program, I respond to it the same way as I'd respond to art. It activates the same receptacles. Furthermore, there is truth in that the way to write good software is to study good software, similar to the way to paint well or write good poetry.
Very often I have struggled to sell the benefits of a particular approach to non techies. For instance, the benefits of refactoring to your manager. When your manager looks at your application they just see a bunch of brush strokes, when you look you see a Rembrandt.
Probably the typical response to that is no, computer software is utilitarian and thus cannot be construed as Art. But that approach belies a limited view of Art and what constitutes Art. To say something is functional and thus not art is to limit the world of Art significantly, but also to limit the potential and possibilities of the functional world.
Let me explain... take a knife. You can create a knife the "cuts", i.e. is fulfills its function. However, you can also get a knife which _really_ performs its functions. i.e. it is well balanced, has a sharp true blade, has a firm easy to use handle and is aesthetically pleasing. Now, this better knife was not produced only by an engineer using his "engineering" faculties but possibly by an artist type person as well (could have been the same person). Thus artistic elements were introduced. Furthermore, on use, though the simple knife that "cuts" would also fulfill its function - as does the more "arty" knife, anyone who uses both knives would admit the latter knife is better, and not necessarily for a reason that can be defined in merely utilitarian terms - they both "cut".
And to my mind, a similar dynamic occurs in Software.
Have you ever presented your end product to the client and been frustrated that they don't truly appreciate the elegance of the application. Why not? They are simply looking at the software from a functional point of view, i.e. the non art point of view. However, you know that the software is a lot more than just utilitarian. It has an elegance that is hard to explain to people that don't "get it".
The question is, is that elegance non functional? If a picture is beautiful, it does not have any functional value, however, what is interesting about computer software is that elegance follows function. That elegance may not be leveraged now, but in the future, the good design decisions that were taken earlier can easily lend to better functionality later. When I look at a good program, I respond to it the same way as I'd respond to art. It activates the same receptacles. Furthermore, there is truth in that the way to write good software is to study good software, similar to the way to paint well or write good poetry.
Very often I have struggled to sell the benefits of a particular approach to non techies. For instance, the benefits of refactoring to your manager. When your manager looks at your application they just see a bunch of brush strokes, when you look you see a Rembrandt.
1 comment:
I agree.
People can gather in an old abandoned warehouse for a religious ceremony or they can gather in the Sistine Chapel. The pure function of these buildings is the same in this example, but no-one can say that the experience is comparable. Just like software, architecture is can utilitarian and art. I would like to believe the most people and feel the difference when they are in the presence of art. The sad fact is that users do not see the art in our work because they literally cannot see it. If I blindfold you and take you into the Sistine Chapel you will not appreciate the art in the architecture or on the walls.
We cannot expect users who do not understand how software is created to appreciate when it is done right.
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