Intentional Code - Minimalism in a World of Dogmatic Design

What if your 'clean code' is actually thoughtless complexity? This talk challenges dogmatic design patterns, advocating for a minimalist and intentional approach to software.

#1about 2 minutes

Why thoughtless code organization creates confusion

Organizing code by architectural concept rather than by feature obscures its true purpose and makes it difficult to understand.

#2about 2 minutes

Understanding the origins and limits of design patterns

Design patterns originated as named solutions to common problems, but true design begins where these predictable patterns end.

#3about 3 minutes

Treating software as a form of literature

Inspired by Donald Knuth's "Literate Programming," software should be viewed as a constrained form of communication between programmers.

#4about 2 minutes

Moving beyond the dogma of clean code

The book "Clean Code" has become a historical artifact that promotes dogmatic adherence to syntactic hygiene over meaningful architectural discussions.

#5about 2 minutes

Using code form and whitespace to communicate intent

The physical layout of code, including whitespace and grouping, is a powerful tool for communicating intent and improving readability.

#6about 2 minutes

Matching software complexity to its problem domain

The complexity of an application should never exceed the inherent complexity of the problem it is designed to solve.

#7about 2 minutes

A case study in simplifying an over-engineered system

Merging dozens of separate projects into a single logical application dramatically reduced build times and cognitive overhead for the team.

#8about 3 minutes

Defining and managing sources of software complexity

Complexity is the accumulation of small issues that make a system hard to understand and modify, leading to change amplification and high cognitive load.

#9about 3 minutes