Write code like you just learned how to program
<i>It's extremely difficult to be simultaneously concerned with the end-user experience of whatever it is that you're building and the architecture of the program that delivers that experience. Maybe impossible.</i><p>Layperson who's never seen it: "Impossible"<p>Practitioner who's becoming better: "Extremely difficult"<p>Expert:  "We do this all the time.  What's the big deal?"<p><i>I think the only way to pull it off is to simply not care about the latter. Write comically straightforward code, as if you just learned to program, and go out of your way avoid wearing any kind of software engineering hat--unless what you really want to be is a software engineer, and not the designer of an experience.</i><p>I know that OP meant well, but I think this is about the worst advice I've ever seen here.  A little background...<p>I have reviewed or maintained the code of thousands of other programmers, and I've encountered maybe a couple dozen I'd actually hire and about 5 I'd consider as technical co-founders.  What's the biggest difference?  Until today, I wasn't sure how to verbalize, but now, I think a good description would be those who appear to take OP's advice and those who know better...<p>AFAIC, there's is a close correlation between good code and user experience.  There's a close correlation between readable code and maintainable code.  There's a close correlation between expertise and precision to detail <i>throughout</i>.  And perhaps most of all, there's a close correlation between something built properly to stand the test of time and <i>long term</i> user satisfaction.<p>If you want to learn a hobby, develop a passion, or really dig deep, by all means, follow OP's advice and just code it.  Sometimes that's simply the best way to understand what goes on under the hood and learn what's possible once you learn the right way to build things.  <i>Once you learn the right way to build things.</i><p>But, please, please, please, leave your experiments on your own hard disk where they belong.  You may have thought that those bleeding pixels were cool, but your name will be cursed by the poor souls who forever have to maintain your mess.