Code & Creativity: Unveiling the Philosophy Behind Software Design

Game Studies for Everyone

Ever wondered how the software you use shapes your creativity? In this episode, we unpack a thought-provoking study from the International Journal of the Humanities that dives into the philosophy behind software design. The author reveals how every design choice in software isn’t just functional—it’s philosophical, influencing how we create and interact. We explore a groundbreaking framework that blends critical design, postmodern philosophy, and creative process theory to analyze how software’s 'feedback loops' guide our interactions and even our thinking. But that’s not all—discover the intriguing concept of 'software misuse' and how it can expose the hidden intentions and constraints built into the programs we rely on. And finally, we introduce the idea of 'software viscosity'—the subtle resistance some software imposes that can either challenge or block your creative flow. If you're a designer, a creative, or just curious about the tech shaping our world, you won’t want to miss this deep dive into the intersection of design and philosophy!

Sources:

Lanier, J. (2003). One half a manifesto. In J. Brockman (Ed.), The new humanists: Science at the edge (pp. 233-262). New York, NY: Barnes and Noble.

Grace, L. 2009. The Philosophies of Software, Handbook of Research on Computational Arts and Creative Informatics, IGI Global & Towson University

Tufte, E (1993). The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint. New London, CT. Yale University Press

Chomsky, N (2006). Language and mind. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.