# Effective Kotlin Item 10: Design for readability

DevFeed: [Effective Kotlin Item 10: Design for readability](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/effective-kotlin-item-10-design-for-readability-39288.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://kt.academy/article/ek-readability>)

Published: 2022-10-24T00:00:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Kt. Academy](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/kt-academy.md>)

Topics: [Kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kotlin.md>), [Kotlin programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/kotlin-programming.md>), [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>)

Tags: [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [cognitive-load](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cognitive-load.md>), [effective](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/effective.md>), [elvis-operator](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/elvis-operator.md>), [implementation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/implementation.md>), [junior](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/junior.md>), [kotlin](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/kotlin.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>), [readability](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/readability.md>), [workshop-learning-programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/workshop-learning-programming.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains why code readability matters in Kotlin, emphasizing that developers spend much more time reading code than writing it. It argues that fewer lines or characters do not necessarily make code easier to understand, and that readability depends on cognitive load and familiarity with programming idioms, especially for less experienced Kotlin developers.

## Source excerpt

Do we really want out applications concise, or do we rather want them readable?