Conclusion

Think about your favorite piece of research software.

• Does it do what it's supposed to?

• Is it comfortable to use?

We should also ask:

• Did its design make it easy to build and maintain?

We use words like "elegant" when talking about software, but quickly run out of meaning when asked to explain what that means. We don't have the shared vocabulary that would let us critique its design the way we can the design of a chair or a stapler.

I hope this book will help us do better. I hope that some day we'll be able to talk meaningfully about the beauty of software because it is beautiful and we deserve to have ways to say that. Until then: