Isaac Gouy
Posts: 527
Nickname: igouy
Registered: Jul, 2003
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software development... an artistic endeavor
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Posted: Jul 18, 2006 7:00 PM
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Bruce Eckel wrote
-snip-
The hardest thing to admit, I think, is that software development is the complete opposite of an assembly line, but is far more of an artistic endeavor like writing a novel or performing a play. Or even painting. It's as if we completely skip over the important details of the activity, saying, "Painting means applying paint to a surface. So I can achieve the same effect with a spray gun on a barn as Monet did when he applied paint to a surface using his paint applicators." And after all, we are just manipulating bits, so it seems a logical conclusion to draw, other than it doesn't seem to work very well.
In the 1st edition of "The Inmates are Running the Asylum" the comparison was with making movies.
Pre-production "Write script, storyboard, production design, casting, raise money"
Production "Cameras roll, directors yell cut, lights glare, actors emote, technicians tech"
Post Production "Editing, soundtrack, marketing"
"The significant aspects of this tripartite structure is that the purpose of the pre-production phase is to minimize the duration of the production phase... I suspect that we have a lot to learn from filmmakers. If we spent more time in pre-production - in design - we could cut our expensive programming time considerably." p226
Pre-production "Interaction design, storyboard, screen sketch, hire programmers, raise money"
Production "Programmers code, managers fetch pizza, designers solve minor interaction problems"
Post Production "Debugging, documentation, marketing"
http://www.cooper.com/content/insights/newsletters/2004_issue02/Inmates_Foreword_excerpt.asp
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