Ahooga!

Software should spark joy.

When I was younger, I designed an enterprise employee directory that added a giant, red clown nose to employee mugshots when the employee wasn’t in compliance with company policies.

Whaaaat? You didn’t submit that incredibly important form due last week?

Submit it now, Clowny, or you’ll be sporting rainbow curls by the morrow; holding a tiny umbrella the day after. Hell, by Friday, your colleagues will think you invested in the metaverse.

Seriously though. Don’t make me add a cute honking sound when people click on your…

[Ahooga!]

[Too late.]

It was pure joy… and… it never made it to production… because… you know… clowns.

My point here isn’t just that software has cartoonishly large shoes to fill.

It’s that delighting users requires so much more than meeting their functional requirements on time and on budget.

Beauty. Simplicity. Play. Surprise. Joy.

All sparks that lead to fire and light.

And perfect for cold, dimly lit businesses… and engineering careers that have lost their ahooga.