Minimalism in Coding and Design

Time goes quickly, and our lives demand efficient solutions to daily tasks and problems. We also want to have fun and enjoy being with families and friends.

Thus, it is paramount to solve issues in time, avoid procrastination, and avoid too much complexity when possible—in other words, keep it all as simple as possible. I think that well-thought-out minimalism in everything we do or plan is the key to saving time.

Knowing and honing your skills

Let’s focus on the coding and design process. My front-end skills require so much polishing that I do not even dare to delve into them. I am a back-end developer because it is what I like to do. And it is OK. It is impossible to be perfect in everything.

Firstly, I did a thorough search for things I wanted to learn in programming and design, and it took me years. But in the end, I found out that I do not have the patience to meticulously find colours and create layouts while creating perfect web pages.

I like to create worlds in code, objects, and control flows to realize the needed functionality. Coding is magic, and magic can be manifested in different ways.

So, when I do programming, I cast some spells that impact the core algorithm, making it adaptable for the end-user and more accessible for code reuse. The design can be changed later or even outsourced.

Focus on what is essential

However, I still like to learn what is most essential for my projects. I have learned basic HTML and CSS, which is an absolute must-have skill on the Web now. With some programming experience in hand, we can quickly learn new tools, languages, and libraries with a bit of time and effort.

This is time-consuming, and development tools are in constant flux. Thus, it is really good to focus! Choose a minimalistic skill set that solves 80% of your problems. You can skip 20% of unnecessary effort most of the time.

Do not re-invent the wheel!

When we want to be effective, we can stand on the shoulders of titans and use state-of-the-art algorithms instead of spending our time “re-inventing the wheel.” For instance, just do it if you like using WordPress for your blog!

Are so many plugins and themes that address any requirement or taste! Nevertheless, all these goodies come with the cost of bugging our daily routines, maintenance, and unnecessary hustle. Consider that some installed plugins introduce security holes and how much damage they can cause when not dealt with in time!

Update your skill set in time

Nowadays, technology advances so rapidly that I sometimes feel like running after leaving the train. More technical knowledge is needed every day. Yesterday, it was GIT and workflows, and today it is Docker. What is next?

Conclusion

I like to focus on the essentials and use tools I like, which address 80% of my tasks. I know that I prefer the back-end, which was not always the case; learning your preferences takes time. So, I focus on the back-end, particularly Machine Learning, Flask, Python, and REST. At the same time, I know the essentials of the most needed HTML and CSS, so I can quickly fix minor things.

By the way, I am designing my blog to be as minimalistic as possible. I do not use any complex patterns. I am focusing on the primary goal of this website—to keep things simple and well-organized so that I can keep track of what I am doing. This should help me devote more time to learning new things.