> “ Selecting and arranging recipes requires creativity. I do not believe API design of a math library is in any way the same level, having designed hundreds of APIs and several SDKs myself.”

I have designed hundreds of APIs and SDKs myself as well and I could not disagree with you more.

API design is about deliberately and creatively considering the domain model of your user (whether that domain is Int or Float for a user who is a low level system programmer or the domain is CheckingAccount and SavingsAccount for a user who is a banking application developer, or anything in between or beyond). You creatively set up APIs so that composition of the API primitives allows direct expression of solutions in the user’s domain.

This is exactly like arranging recipes in a recipe book, to organize sections for different styles, meals or amount of prep time, holiday themes, etc. That is exactly software API design to a tee.

This article highlights it for me:

https://blog.keras.io/user-experience-design-for-apis.html