Paul Graham - Taste of Makers

Original link: http://www.paulgraham.com/taste.html

Chinese translation: http://book.douban.com/reading/12568088/

Good design is simple.

Good design is timeless.

Good design solves the right problem.

Good design is suggestive.

Good design is often slightly funny.

Good design is hard.

Good design looks easy.

Good design uses symmetry. (repetition and recursion)

Good design resembles nature.

Good design is redesign.

Good design can copy.

Good design is often strange.

Good design happens in chunks.

Good design is often daring.

Intolerance for ugliness is not in itself enough. You have to understand a field well before you develop a good nose for what needs fixing. You have to do your homework. But as you become expert in a field, you'll start to hear little voices saying, What a hack! There must be a better way. Don't ignore those voices. Cultivate them. The recipe for great work is: very exacting taste, plus the ability to gratify it.

单单是无法容忍丑陋的东西还不够，只有对这个领域非常熟悉，你才可能发现哪些地方可以动手改进。你必须锻炼自己。只有在成为某个领域的专家之后，你才会听到心里有一个细微的声音说：“这样解决太糟糕了！一定有更好的选择。”不要忽视这种声音，要培育它们。优秀作品的秘诀就是：非常严格的品味，再加上实现这种品味的能力。