Abstractions considered harmful
Computers, after all, are just shaky towers of nested abstractions: from the code that tells them what to do, to the interfaces that suggest to the user what’s possible to do with them. Each level of abstraction becomes an opportunity to make work more efficient, communicate more clearly, and assist understanding.
Of course, abstractions also become chances to complicate what was clear, slow down what was fast, and [mess] up what was perfectly fine.
Choosing the proper amount of abstraction is tricky, because each user comes to what you’re making with their own amount of experience. Experience gaps are not unique to computing, but I think it matters more here than in many other situations.
Frank Chimero what screens want