Coins Quote by Alan Kay
“The flip side of the coin was that even good programmers and language designers tended to do terrible extensions when they were in the heat of programming, because design is something that is best done slowly and carefully.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Design Principles in Programming, Alan Kay, 1976
Rushed extensions often degrade software quality; thoughtful, deliberate design yields robust, maintainable systems.
In simple terms: Design slowly for better code.
Key Takeaway
Take time to design carefully.
Themes
software design
quality
deliberation
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
advice
technical
When to use this quote
- tight deadlines
- rapid prototyping
- feature creep
- team collaboration
Key Concepts
engineering
cognitive psychology
systems thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- What design decisions can you revisit?
- How do you balance speed with quality?
A Different Perspective
Speed can compromise long‑term maintainability.
