Here are some of my key takeaways from a captivating #Devoxx Greece 2024:
① We need to stop thinking about user-centric design and start to think about life-centric design. The creation of a utopia means enacting someone else's dystopia. Inclusivity, care, and working together are the way forward. Interdependence over independence. Thank you Monika Bielskyte for your inciteful keynote.
② Always remember the fallacies of distributed computing. Keeping these in mind helps us to avoid the pitfalls of distributed design that are all too easy to fall into. Thank you @tedneward
③ Something that @simonbrown and I both agree on when it comes to diagrams: a common set of abstractions is more important than a common notation. Consider two maps of the same area. They have common abstractions like a road and a river, but those things might look different on each map. There is a key.
④ Sowmya Sridharamurthy says we should be curious and asking questions as technical professionals, and I totally agree! Thinking about things critically and systematically, and just asking 'why' improves our software and our other work.
⑤ Visualising our analysis makes a huge impact on how well our audience can understand it and see patterns. Use visualisations to illustrate and emphasise what you want to communicate, but also to find the patterns yourself. Thank you Adam Tornhill
⑥ In an increasingly uncertain and changeable world having options is more valuable. We need more architecture to give us more options, alongside agile working to enable us to take advantage of these options. Thank you Gregor Hohpe
⑦ Everything fails all the time (- @werner) and we need to be prepared and have plans for how to manage incidents. This includes set ways for reporting, dealing with, and closing these incidents. Thank you Hila Fish
⑧ Athens is a truly beautiful city and Devoxx Greece an amazing learning experience. My first trip to Greece has been inspiring in more ways than one! Thank you to all the speakers, organisers, attendees, and sponsors for making the event what it was and for the inciteful conversations in the hallway track. A special thank you to Patroklos Papapetrou (Pat) for inviting me to speak at #DevoxxGR 2024!
Jacqui Read