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Design

Ten Principles

William F. Barnes


Copyright © 2014-2025 by William F. Barnes. All rights reserved. Unauthorized retention, duplication, distribution, or modification is not permitted. [Legal]
  1. Purity

    Make each part do one thing well.

  2. Cellularity

    Use simple parts connected by simple interfaces.

  3. Measurability

    Parts should be designed for testing.

  4. Transparency

    Clarity beats cleverness.

  5. Simplicity

    Lean on data so algorithms can be simple.

  6. Complexity

    Introduce complexity only when necessary.

  7. Separation

    Keep concerns separated.

  8. Maturity

    Optimize finally when the design and the designer have matured.

  9. Grace

    Never hide failures.

  10. Replaceability

    Design so your work can be swapped out for better work.


Inspired from [Basics of the Unix Philosophy].