Malleable software: Restoring user agency in a world of locked-down apps (2025)
Summary
An in-depth essay advocating malleable software and end-user empowerment, arguing for a shift from monolithic apps to modular, composable tools. It covers design patterns like gentle slope, shared data, and tool composition, and presents Ink & Switch prototypes (PushPin, Farm, Patchwork) and concepts around communal creation and AI-assisted coding as a complement—not a substitute—for malleability.