[HN Gopher] The Creative Power of Constraints
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       The Creative Power of Constraints
        
       Author : zhenpixels
       Score  : 20 points
       Date   : 2025-05-05 17:23 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (arun.is)
 (TXT) w3m dump (arun.is)
        
       | recursivedoubts wrote:
       | "The enemy of art is the absence of limitations" --Orson Welles
        
       | dvh wrote:
       | If you ask random people to draw a horse, they will give you
       | excuses why they can't draw. Tell them to draw horse using only
       | rectangles and suddenly everybody is a painter.
        
         | betterThanTexas wrote:
         | That's actually pretty interesting insight into painting (to
         | me, anyway).
        
       | alganet wrote:
       | Remember when this idea bred those fake minimalist preachers?
       | Mistaking constraint-based design for asceticism?
       | 
       | Too much constraints, you end up in a corner.
       | 
       | It reminds me of Windows Metro. That was good constraint-based
       | design. Lots of clever thinking in the good direction. Windows 8
       | was great (hey, Apple copied some of it, the highest form of
       | praise).
       | 
       | Eames was smart. Translating those things to tech is often a
       | challenge. Keeping the thing human is difficult.
        
       | gwern wrote:
       | > Charles Eames's distinction between forced compromises and
       | willingly accepted constraints reveals a profound truth -- in the
       | delicate balance between structure and freedom lies the sweet
       | spot where creativity thrives.
       | 
       | Suggested constraint: "write this post without AI".
        
         | zhenpixels wrote:
         | You caught me. Will do.
        
       | kunzhi wrote:
       | For anyone interested in more constraint reading, highly highly
       | recommend _Notes on the Synthesis of Form_ by Christopher
       | Alexander.
       | 
       | IMHO it should be required reading for all programmers and
       | designers.
        
         | zhenpixels wrote:
         | Great suggestion. Just bought it.
        
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       (page generated 2025-05-05 23:01 UTC)