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Programming is usually a task for left brained guys, but nowadays that's not enough and we need to create good looking environments, and this implies using the right side of our brains.

I've read some books like Sketching user experiences and The Design of Everyday Things, but...

What do you actually do to train your right brain skills?

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I think you're premise is flawed. If programming were a left brained activity, I'd expect to see fewer left handed people in programming than I encounter outside of work. Instead, the opposite is true. Many have stated that abstraction is a key skill for programmers (ex: portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=507758.377712) and from my understanding, that's a very right brained activity. – MIA Oct 10 '10 at 23:54
@Jim Leonardo: I'm not sure if there is really a correlation with handness and preference for thinking (left/right brain). Got any back-up for this? It's all separates modules as far as I know. I agree that abstraction is key and a right-brain activity though. Maybe that's why there's so few excellent programmer? I think a good programmer need both sides of the brain, so well, the question would makes a lot of sense for a left-brain dominant guy. – n1ckp Oct 11 '10 at 13:41
@n1ck "Brain function lateralization is evident in the phenomena of right- or left-handedness and of right or left ear preference" from the first link from OP. That and that's what I was taught while getting that bio degree. It's not 100% of the factors driving it, but it was a good enough indicator for the majority of cases. Certainly 20 yrs ago when I was getting my degree in Bio, that's about all we were taught on the subject. The nerves cross over in the neck, which is why left handed people tend to be right eye dominant etc. – MIA Oct 11 '10 at 14:21
@Jim Leonardo: well I guess I will takes your word for it but I would try to take an educated guess (I have no reference for it) and say that the correlation would not be very high. My reasoning for this is that thinking is more of a learned process where handness is pretty determined by genetics (or at least very early developpement (in the womb)) from what I heard. Still you have reference and I'm only guessing so I'll takes your word for now. – n1ckp Oct 11 '10 at 14:40
I am using dual displays on my production desktop :) – adopilot Oct 23 '10 at 22:02
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5 Answers

up vote 8 down vote accepted

Another book for you: Refactor your Wetware. Much of it concerns unlocking "right-brain" thinking ("R-mode" in the book) as a necessary part of "becoming an expert" (at anything), rejecting the idea that programming is an entirely left-brained activity. The book contains a large number of exercises and things to try. Note that the book is more about tapping into intuition and your brain's amazing subconscious powers of pattern matching and creativity than developing the visual skills specifically. In fact one of the things the book points out is that for every person who's intuition is telling them something "looks right", there are others who are more "feels right", "sounds right" or even "smells/tastes right" people. (Naturally, some of the exercises involve figuring out which camp you naturally fall into, and trying out the others).

I'm not going to claim the book is destined to become a "classic", but I certainly enjoyed reading it, it's thought-provoking and it's certainly changed my thinking about some things. While there are many other books on the same general topic, this one is, I think, unique in being very much written with developers in mind.

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+1: looks interesting – n1ckp Oct 10 '10 at 22:52
+1: yes! it looks very interesting, this book is the kind of answer I wanted. – jmservera Oct 11 '10 at 8:35
+1 'cause i like clever book titles! – DarenW Nov 12 '10 at 1:26
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I loved reading this book, it's very insightfull. Just keep in mind that it's not scientificly proven (and some points are allready disproved). So don't think it's all true, but it's a good approach and certainly a fun read! – Demian Kasier Sep 30 '11 at 14:54
up vote 6 down vote

This is not programming-related, but if you're interested in drawing, or learning how to draw, you might want to have a look at a drawing "textbook" called, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards.

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up vote 3 down vote

By doing it. There is no replacement for experience.

alt text

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+1 nice answer. – user2567 Oct 10 '10 at 11:40
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Which doesn't really answer the question - how do you "just do it"? What do you need to do? – Frank Shearar Oct 10 '10 at 11:59
funny but it would have been as much funny as a comment. (this is not really an answer in my view) – n1ckp Oct 10 '10 at 14:11
@Frank Shearar - actually, the question is "what do you ..." and it is impossible to answer any more in detail without knowing more about it. – Rook Oct 10 '10 at 15:49
Yes, that's precisely my point: "Just do it". Well, do what? – Frank Shearar Oct 10 '10 at 17:35
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Recent clinical studies have shown that meditation does just that.

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Heh, I'm glad to hear that, having recently started practicing zazen! – Frank Shearar Oct 10 '10 at 17:35
There are CDs that play slightly different tones in left and right, to be listened to while meditating. When your brain is balanced, or whatever exactly they claim, you hear a beat frequency. I'm skeptical though - suspecting this has to do with lower brain centers and sensory centers e.g. thalamus, and not necessarily having to do with cerebral balance. But then, IANANS (not a neuroscientist) – DarenW Nov 12 '10 at 1:30
up vote 2 down vote

I read somewhere that the way we process visual information, there's a side of the brain that focus on detail and the other side focus on 'the big picture'.

I think you have to stop trying to rationalize each choice (like for example: a study said it was good to have those things on the left so I put them on the left) and try focusing on the 'big picture' and how you 'feel' it instead.

What do it tell you when you look at it. How does it feel? What pattern do you detect? etc. (it's a little complex to explain in words).

I think you first have to let the 'big picture' side see and feel things then you can rationalize with your 'details' side (finding explanation for why that pattern seems useful). That's probably your error and the error of a lot of those left-only type: trying to rationalize BEFORE actually having any 'big picture' (ie: blindly listening to a study is a classic example I'd say).

Also I disagree that programming is for left brain people only. You HAVE to have a view on the big picture when programming too, not only details are important but overall architecture too.

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