Pattern
Subtractive Triad Audit
Three questions at three levels. DRY asks about implementation. Rams asks about the artifact. Heidegger asks about the whole.
"Weniger, aber besser."
— Dieter Rams
Definition
The Subtractive Triad Audit is a systematic framework for evaluating any creation through three lenses, each operating at a different level of abstraction. It transforms "should I remove this?" from intuition into method.
The triad applies the same principle—subtractive revelation—at three scales: implementation (code), artifact (product), and system (ecosystem). Each level has its master: DRY eliminates duplication, Rams eliminates excess, Heidegger eliminates disconnection.
The power is in the sequence. You must ask the questions in order: DRY before Rams before Heidegger. Why? Because you can't evaluate an artifact's essence if it's cluttered with duplicates. You can't evaluate systemic fit if the artifact itself is unclear.
"Creation is the discipline of removing what obscures."
The Three Levels
DRY — Implementation
Don't Repeat Yourself
Question: "Have I built this before?"
Action: Unify. Find the abstraction that eliminates duplication without premature generalization.
✓ Extract shared functions and components
✓ Consolidate configuration
✓ Single source of truth for each concept
Rams — Artifact
Weniger, aber besser
Question: "Does this earn its existence?"
Action: Remove. If something doesn't serve an essential function, it shouldn't exist.
✓ Every feature must justify itself
✓ Decoration is guilt until proven innocent
✓ Fewer, better elements
Heidegger — System
The Hermeneutic Circle
Question: "Does this serve the whole?"
Action: Reconnect. Every part must serve the system, and the system must give meaning to each part.
✓ Parts reference each other coherently
✓ Nothing is orphaned or purposeless
✓ The whole is revealed through its parts
When to Apply
Apply When
- • Reviewing any significant creation
- • Code review or design critique
- • Deciding what to remove
- • System architecture decisions
- • Onboarding new work to existing systems
Critical Order
- • Always DRY before Rams
- • Always Rams before Heidegger
- • Never skip levels
- • Iterate if changes at one level affect others
Audit Example: Component Library
Auditing a Button Component
Level 1: DRY
Are there other button-like components? Does PrimaryButton duplicate SecondaryButton logic? Can we unify into one Button with variants?
→ Unify: One Button component with variant prop
Level 2: Rams
Does every prop earn its existence? Is the "loading" state needed, or is it decoration? What about the icon slot?
→ Remove: Drop unused size="xl" variant
Level 3: Heidegger
Does Button connect to the design system's purpose? Does it reference typography tokens? Does it enable the product vision?
→ Reconnect: Derive from semantic color tokens
Reference: WORKWAY SDK Audit
The Subtractive Triad Audit was applied to the WORKWAY SDK integration to determine what to include in the CREATE SOMETHING ecosystem.
Part of the CREATE SOMETHING Pattern Library