On Elegance in Production
Published:
Often, we encounter artifacts that feel elegant. These can be pieces of code, algorithms, components composed of multiple algorithms, or entire systems built from many parts. Elegance appears in different forms and is possessed in different ways. Unlike properties such as correctness or performance–which can be tested, measured, and validated–elegance is open to interpretation. One can verify whether a system is correct, but how does one validate elegance? Elegance appeals to a different sense altogether.