The Elements of Friendly Software Design

by Paul Heckel

A classic of software design that definitively lays out software design as a communications craft. Heckel details, among other things, 30 principles of effective user communication. Along the way he provides a wealth of illustrative details from every type of artistic endeavor from Picasso to D.W. Griffith to Walt Disney Studios to Xerox PARC.

Genres: Design

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1984

Reviews

[Gunjan Bhow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing in its insight, and how many of the principles apply after 30 years

[KMT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half of the book deals with specificities that are obviously really dated (Visicalc anyone?) but still interesting from a nerdy/historical point of view.
The other half deals with generalities about software design, design overall, and communication that I found are still relevant today.
I skipped the last chapter about patent protection as it reads a bit like the author's own crusade.
The book is written in a clear and entertaining language but I found the overall structure of the book is a bit fuzzy. Many chapters after the initial 30 principles feel a bit like various articles slapped together.

[Lauren Haynes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hilarious if only because it was written in 1982. Many of the principles still apply, many are just laughable.