Intentional Code - Minimalism in a World of Dogmatic Design - David Whitney - NDC London 2023

Discover the art of intentional code with David Whitney, exploring the principles of minimalism in software design, overcoming dogmatic complexity, and achieving simplicity through effective communication.

Key takeaways
  • Intentional code is about minimalism in a world of dogmatic design
  • Code has intent; it’s easy to read, but hard to write
  • Complexity is anything related to the structure or form of code
  • Complexity is often caused by a lack of communication and thoughtful design
  • Intent is conveyed through code forms and functions
  • High-level design is about building small systems
  • Simplicity is a form of genius
  • Software design is about finding a balance between form and function
  • Clean architecture is not the answer to all problems
  • Oosterhout describes complexity as the thing that makes things difficult to understand
  • Communication is key; literal and written language is important in code
  • Intent is conveyed through form, not just function
  • High-level design is about making the understandability of code a priority