Re: Artistically creative expression has no role in software design

["Nick Roberts" <nick.roberts@acm.org>]

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 13:46:58 -0500, Marc A. Criley <mcNOSPAM@mckae.com>  
wrote:

> One of the interesting conclusions of this paper is this:
>
> "Since the design of computer software is forever driven by its
> intended functionality and efficiency concerns, the room for
> artistically creative expression never arises. [...] It is more
> appropriate to consider the software objects of a computer
> program as analogous to the gears, pulleys, and levers of a
> mechanical invention, as by its very nature, the design of
> computer software is intended to optimize functionality by
> making a program run faster, use less memory, or be easier for
> the programmer to modify."

I would heartily agree with this synopsis -- particularly the
analogy with clockwork -- but I would suggest that the design of
the user interface of a computer program is often necessarily of
an artistic nature. After all, the design of clocks often has an
artistic element to it.

-- 
Nick Roberts