As I was just digging a trench along the edge of a new greenhouse I am constructing (of which will be detailed in a future post), I was listening to a podcast in which the host was discussing how a well designed structure can make people healthier, happier, and arguably smarter. This idea really strikes a chord with me and it is something I have been thinking a lot about as I plan out the spaces around the farm. It also seemed to be an extremely appropriate thing to be listening to as I was building a greenhouse which is a major alteration of space on the farm. 

Thinking about and designing the space on the farm is a constant. What is the best use of this space? How can I make something more efficient? How can I make something more attractive? Why does something bother me visually or functionally? What is the best way to organize tools and field space? How am I affecting the ecology in this area? When considering these questions, there is a balance of trying to design a space well and just getting the work done. Spaces also have to be flexible, or as flexible as possible. Climates change, markets change, my personal goals and desires change so nothing can be too permanent. 

But what the podcast was really making me think about was computer programs. I also listen to the podcasts 99% Invisible and some other podcasts that specifically discuss design and how it affects society and culture. None that I can think of, however, have discussed how the user interface in the programs we use (apps) make us healthier, happier, or smarter. Really, quite the opposite, the only thing I have heard about apps is how they are designed to be more appealing in an addictive way. 

This probably is not true across all programs. Theoretically, I think, operating systems are supposed to have user interfaces that are welcoming and a pleasure to use. But, by and large I personally feel that they have traded beauty for functionality. Maybe as a culture we have determined that the user interface is only as good as getting something done as quickly and easily as possible. That is a reasonable goal, though one that is rarely fulfilled, is it not more important to enjoy the space we are working in? And by space, I am referring to the user interface since that is the actual space that most people using a computer are working in.  

PS My brother is a computer programmer. I argue that farming and computer programming have similarities in the way that they both function best when efficient systems and elegance meet.