thinginside
Thinginside is a term used to describe the internal aspects of a thing—the components, processes, or causes that are not immediately observable from its exterior. It is often contrasted with exterior aspects such as appearance, interface, or outward behavior.
The precise origin of the term is unclear, and it has appeared sporadically in online discussions, design
In system design and documentation, focusing on thinginside helps engineers describe state machines, data flows, internal
A device’s thinginside includes its firmware, microcontroller code, sensor calibration, and internal data models. A software
Relationship to other concepts
Thinginside is related to notions such as internal state, internal architecture, and white-box knowledge. It is
The term is not standardized and can be used inconsistently across disciplines. When used, it is best