Much goes into being a great designer: knowing the domain inside and out, understanding design thinking, and, yes, being intimately familiar with the technology at hand. Crucially important, however, is the ability to effectively keep a steady mind and balance multiple perspectives in a world of uncertainty, constant change, and competing demands on the design under consideration.

What exactly sets expert software designers apart, and what makes them have enduring design success regardless of the technology or infrastructure du jour, is the topic of this talk. Based upon decades of observations, conversations, interviews, and empirical studies of software developers ‘in action’ designing, we will present key insights into their thought and decision-making processes, use and non-use of tools and notations, reliance on colleagues, and more.

André van der Hoek is a programmer at heart, who thrives on talking to and working with software designers and developers to create new tools that help them be more effective and efficient. He is a Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and heads the Software Design and Collaboration Laboratory, which focuses on understanding and advancing the roles of design, collaboration, and education in software engineering.

André van der Hoek is co-author of 'Software Design Decoded: 66 Ways How Experts Think' and co-editor of 'Studying Professional Software Design: a Human-Centric Look at Design Work', two unique books that detail the expert practices of professional software designers.