making more of minimalism
Earlier this year I decided to make a new portfolio site, and it's given me an opportunity to reflect on the changes in my sensibilities as a developer. You're reading on the new site now.
I've grown in many ways, and have a keener eye as a developer. Under the hood especially, there's a lot I'd have done differently. One standout aspect I like from the old site is the minimal design. It is selective in what tries to get your attention.
The new site, the one you're on, shares that minimalist sensibility. In fact, it takes it further, even at the cost of flashiness. There's no animation, no novel navbar. Most laymen would probably point at the old site as the more 'impressive', so why am I happier with the new site than with the old?
The answer is that I now take the spirit of that minimalist sensibility, and extend it to my development style. Basically, I'm now walking the walk of minimalism.
I've got some concessions for the sake of comfort: I'm building in a Ruby on Rails app. A web app is severe overkill, but it's a familiar technology for me, and expect a such a minor time-save using something like Jekyll, that it wouldn't be worth the overall loss of flexibility.
I've also added the functionality to process markdown files into HTML. When it comes to writing from thought, I've favoured markdown over HTML for some time. Ease-of-use is an important factor in the calculus of effective work.
Now, some 5 or 6 years on from starting as a developer, my approach has shifted from 'what impressive tech can I leverage', to 'what is the simplest thing that delivers on what I need'. This asceticism fuels my best work.
Dieter Rams, possibly the most famous designer alive, says it best: The best design is as little design as possible. The more contrivances and inventions and attention-grabbing elements available, the harder it is to capture the message at the core of any product, statement, or endeavour.
The goal of minimalism isn't about doing less - it's about doing exactly what's needed, and doing it well. In web development as in design, the most powerful statements often come from what we choose not to include.