This quote may have originated with the computer coding industry and it’s still cited today. There are various forms of the saying commonly heard in the industry.
— Make It Work, Make It Beautiful, Make It Fast: New Code
— Make it work, make it right, then make it fast is a good guideline for programmers to improve their results.
— Make it work, make it better, make it faster
But if we all think about things we do regularly, is applies to other aspects of life too.
Where I First Heard The Quote
I first heard it while taking a computer class at California State University Northridge in the early 1970’s. My instructor handed out a sheet of sayings that were commonly used in the computer industry at that time. And remember the industry wasn’t that old at the then.
The university had one big computer used for the students at that time. You had to put your assignment on punch cards and the deliver them to the office where the computer was. The procedure involved dropping your stack of punched cards, which were held together by a rubber band, into a basket on the front desk. Someone working in the office would run the program on a computer that I was told came from Control Data Corporation.
The next day you could go back and get your cards with a printout to see if what you punched on the cards worked as planned. If you didn’t get the desired results it was time to troubleshoot, correct, and repeat the process. Nowadays of course, results come much quicker. But as it goes, first make it work…
As I mentioned earlier we can apply the saying to other facets of life.
Moving
In 2010 we had moved into a new house. I’m sure you’ve been there; furniture perhaps not where you finally want it to be and boxes are all over the place. Perhaps cable and TV not set up yet — seems like a million things to do to get the home as you like it.
But first you do what you need to do to function; you store food to prepare and unpack what you need to prepare it. Then unpack and store items to conduct bathroom activities. And don’t forget to arrange the sleeping accommodations you’ll need later.
Hanging pictures comes at a later time. Eventually you’ll decorate, maybe a little painting, things will be in cabinets where everyone knows where to look for them. Utilities will be paid as a monthly routine is established. Again, first get the house working for you.
In The Kitchen
When cooking a meal this principle translates to focusing on creating a delicious and functional meal before worrying about its presentation. When preparing a meal, the priority is ensuring that the dish is cooked thoroughly, seasoned well, and tastes great. When you’re trying out a new recipe or cooking a dish for the first time, the primary goal is to ensure that it is edible and satisfies your hunger. You focus on getting the right ingredients, following the steps, and making sure the flavors work together.
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe and know it tastes good, you can then start experimenting with presentation, garnishes, and other aesthetic elements to make the dish visually appealing. By prioritizing functionality over appearance initially, you ensure that the fundamental purpose of the meal – providing nourishment and enjoyment – is fulfilled before enhancing its visual appeal.
Home Improvement Projects
When tackling home improvement projects, the initial focus should be on functionality and practicality. For example, if you’re building a bookshelf, your primary concern is making sure it stands sturdy and can hold the weight of the books.
Once the structural integrity is ensured, you can then focus on adding decorative elements, choosing the right finish, and making it visually pleasing. Prioritizing functionality first ensures that the project serves its purpose before investing time and effort into aesthetic enhancements.
Along the same line, when assembling furniture, you prioritize ensuring that all parts are securely attached and the structure is stable before worrying about aesthetic details like paint color or decorative elements. Once the functionality is ensured, you can then enhance its appearance through painting, polishing, or adding embellishments.
Writing and Creative Projects
Whether it’s writing an essay, crafting a presentation, or creating artwork, the primary objective is to convey your message or express your ideas effectively. In the initial stages, you focus on organizing your thoughts, ensuring clarity and coherence in your writing, or getting the basic structure of your artwork right. Once the content or concept is solidified, you can then refine it further by adding stylistic elements, enhancing the language, or fine-tuning the visuals.
In academic settings, the principle of “First make it work. Then make it pretty.” can guide students in prioritizing the content and substance of their projects before refining the presentation. For instance, when working on a research paper or a science experiment, the primary focus should be on gathering accurate information, conducting thorough analyses, and drawing meaningful conclusions. Once the project’s substance is solidified, attention can be directed towards organizing the content effectively, polishing the writing style, and creating visually appealing presentations or displays.
Personal Development
This principle also applies to personal development endeavors such as learning a new skill or adopting a healthier lifestyle. For example, if you’re aiming to improve your physical fitness, the initial focus should be on establishing a consistent exercise routine and adopting nutritious eating habits. Once these foundational aspects are in place and you’re seeing progress in terms of increased strength or improved energy levels, you can then explore additional enhancements such as refining your workout techniques or experimenting with creative meal presentations.
Learning a Musical Instrument
When learning to play a musical instrument, such as a guitar or piano, the priority is mastering the basic chords and techniques. Making sure you can produce the right notes and play in rhythm is crucial for musical competence. Once you’ve achieved proficiency, you can then focus on adding embellishments, exploring different playing styles, and making your performance more nuanced and expressive. The emphasis on functionality first allows for a solid foundation before delving into the more artistic aspects of playing an instrument.
Summing It Up
We could go on and on with other ideas about this principle coming into play i.e. sports teams learning plays, learning a new language, putting together a personal budget, even flying a plane. When first setting out on any new endeavor it seems impossible. Then it becomes possible. Finally it becomes easy – you can’t understand why everyone can’t do it. That’s when it’s time to make it pretty.
In each of the above examples, the general principle remains the same: prioritize functionality and effectiveness before aesthetics or refinement. By adopting this approach, you ensure that your efforts are first directed towards achieving the desired outcome or functionality, after which you can focus on enhancing the appearance or refining the details. If you think about refining a projects results first – you just might not ever get started on it. That’s my experience.
The Poster
So now that I’ve mentioned where the poster idea came from, what about the specifics of the poster. The layout itself was very simple. I chose a transitioned background from my favorite design tool Kittl at Kittl.com. By the way, currently I am not an affiliate with Kittl and earn nothing by recommending it.
I decided on blue transitioning to green as the sky to a landscape. I added a couple of clouds in the sky portion. For the first line of the quote I chose LATO at 106 point as the typeface (font if you like that better). Then I chose a wavy style called flag. Finally added was a drop shadow. An offset of 50 with an angle of -90 for those who are curious. The coloring was white.
The second line was a little fancier – as the saying would imply. The typeface used was called MILKSTORE at 99 point. In both lines it was about the largest point size that could be used and still fit on the poster. The same style and drop shadow was used. The color was red fading into blue.
Adding a little more color to the project was the bouquet of flowers in the middle. This is a graphic from the huge library offered on the site. I duplicated it to have four, and arranged them in a circle.
There you have it. If the idea resonates with you, please check the poster out in my store by clicking on the picture.
Check out my featured posters here.
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Hotcakes The Bear Cub Poster and children’s story
Ed Kenzer has a BS degree in Business Administration from California State University Northridge. He has been a Realtor, a mortgage banker, and for a trade was an ASE certified (and General Motors) master automobile technician. He is now a content creator with over seven decades of everyday experiences to share.