Life, Design, and Programming: When to Turn Off Systems Thinking

April 8th, 2006

Have you ever met one of those people with a tendancy to make things more difficult than they really are? If you haven’t, then you don’t need this post. This post is for people like me. People who view the world as one massive interconnected system and make the mistake of trying to understand it all in the abstract. There’s a problem with comprehending something as a system, especially if it’s bigger than you are!

The systems approach to problem solving works well for visual design because a Web site or printed piece is a comprehensive package and must be designed from that perspective. This approach also works for brainstorming a proposed database driven Web site, but it often breaks down when the actual programming begins.

I have realized that systems thinking is actually a liabililty when getting a basic programming task completed. For example, when an SQL statement needs to be written to delete a record from a table and all related records from linked tables, it may appear that writing a single SQL statement will be most efficient. For most, that’s not the best approach and will lead to wasted time. The first step is to write an SQL statement for each of the record deletions then combine the logic into a single statement.

Perhaps this atomic or mini-task problem solving approach is a principle that can be applied to other complex tasks. While my bent leads me to attempt the most complex approach first, I have begun to realize the merits of taking the route of least resistance. Especially when other people are paying me for my time!

Entry Filed under: What's Happening Here