Drawing on cave walls was one of those definitive moments where our ancestors showed superior intellect. Since then, art forms have been an integral part of our expression as a species, translating the human condition into tangible objects and experiences. It's interesting to look into those attributes that elevate a simple creation to a form of art and investigate the parallels with application development.
Any work of art encapsulates an originality that derives from the unique qualities of the creator. This is why creation can be a messy process. There's a lot of wandering while trying to find the meaning, the hidden desire a creation tries to fulfill, that makes everything purposeful.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, originality is often subjected to imitation. We've all seen "clones" popping-up right after any new trend appears; a trend created by an original idea. That's because it's much easier to mimic than to innovate. Technically there is no limitation for anyone to be original but the threshold for that to occur is not that easy to pass.
Even people that don't appreciate art can have an understanding how quality work offers a certain harmony and order that's hard to find. This attention to detail is often a result of being a work of passion, which allows the creator to overcome the demands in time and effort required.
From the creator's perspective, the feeling of "doing your best" can come with a sense of relief. Whenever any work is compromised, the creator has to live with the heavy burden of not being completely satisfied with the end result. Negatively loaded emotions are only natural and they are a way of keeping us in check with our objectives.
One of the best practices of art is stripping down a creation to its minimal form. Through reduction we find the true nature and character of a creation. An overly complicated creation can foster a frustrating and incoherent experience, in which case the harmony breaks and in its place surface confusion and dissatisfaction.
We all know the saying "less is more" and in fact keeping things simple is more difficult. It requires critical thinking for what can be edited out and letting go of our instinctive tendency to control everything. Setting up just the basics and not answering all questions allows the audience to fill in the gaps with their own desires and creates a connection that is more personal and more interactive.
A popular belief is that Art doesn't need to have utility and thus purpose; but in a sense the purpose comes from how true of an expression it is, according to the creator. Traditionally, the best advice you can give to anyone exposing themselves creatively is to simply "be true to yourself". If the expression is true then the creation will have greater value.
Audiences are very good at identifying and appreciating true expression and that is probably the ideal way to create a connection. When a creation finds its audience, with no implicit intent, it is an all-round success. And what can be a greater indication of utility other than if the audience is drawn to the work?
The ephemeral popularity of trends can't compare with the eternal shine of monumental artwork and creating that durable impression is the ultimate goal of any creation. Timing has little to do here, as this is not success in conventional terms. Even if it's decades down the track, for work that wasn't appreciated in its time, we expect that justice will ultimately prevail and any worthy creations will eventually find their audience and appreciation.
The argument that popular creations are too dumbed down to even be considered artworks may be valid in some cases but that could also be a lousy excuse for work that failed to make a mark. Regardless, the everlasting value of a memorable impression should be at least in the realm of interest for every creator.
Obviously very few entertain the correlation between application development and the classical arts, although as we see the two disciplines may be more closely related than we are used to believe.
For one, we would like our applications to have all the traits described above; unique, elegant solutions that make a connection with an audience and generate an experience that's engaging and lasting. Following the same patterns and exercising a similar mindset to that of an artist could help us address these same concerns.
In our effort to achieve immediate, incremental returns we may be missing the bigger picture and the open invitation to create impressive work. Focusing on a technical process may be a good first step and craftsmanship is definitely desirable but that'll only get us so far. Turning our work into a personal cause and creating with integrity may be key if we want our creations to reach new heights.