Programmers Beware - UX is Not Just for Designers

This post introduces the concept of applying User Experience (UX) principles to the design of APIs and SDKs, extending the traditional focus on visual interfaces. It proposes a 'UX Discovery Survey' with five key questions (Who/What is the user?, What do they want to achieve?, What are they capable of?, What can I do to make their life easier?, Is there anything similar out there that the user already knows how to use?) to guide engineers in creating better interfaces. Examples are provided for REST APIs called from mobile applications and RPC APIs, highlighting common pitfalls like multiple round trips, redundant validation logic, and poorly designed function signatures. The post advocates for prioritizing user needs and simplifying interactions, even at the cost of strict adherence to architectural purism.