Separate programming from design
Peña, Problem Seeking — Ch 1 — Why Problem Seeking?Description
Programming is problem seeking; design is problem solving. The end result of programming is a statement of the total problem — and that statement is the element that joins programming and design. Designing before the problem is defined produces solutions to the wrong problem.
Why this exists
An architect who programs through design produces sketch after sketch trying to satisfy undefined requirements. Worse, the result risks being a confident answer to the wrong question. By separating problem definition from problem solving, both stages get the time and tools they need.
Categories
Source
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Common Areas at the Heart · Pattern 129
- Intimacy Gradient · Pattern 127
- Long Thin House · Pattern 109
- Main Entrance · Pattern 110
- Half-Hidden Garden · Pattern 111
Last reviewed 2026-05-14.