Art is subjective, soft, human, unique.
Science is objective, formulaic, algorithmic, process-heavy.
Think about a recent problem you faced and its surrounding context. Was your approach more artistic or more scientific? Did your perception change as you solved the problem? How did it compare with your colleagues?
As with anything difficult to define, let’s begin with principles:
- Nothing is all art or all science; everything is on a spectrum.
- Any positioning on this spectrum is subjective.
- A common interpretation is that science leads to art. A scientist invents after decades of study. A dancer expresses after decades of practice. Said another way—science at a master level feels like art.
With respect to software development, which day-to-day activities lean one way or the other? What is art and what is science?
