Vibe coding is an informal programming style where developers write code guided more by intuition, flow, and experimentation than by rigid design plans or formal methodologies. The emphasis is on “feeling out” a solution in real time, often adjusting direction as new ideas emerge or as feedback from running code suggests improvements. It is sometimes associated with creative coding, rapid prototyping, and hackathon culture.
The phrase began appearing in online communities around the late 2010s and early 2020s, popularized through developer forums, Twitter, and streaming platforms. While there is no single point of origin, its widespread recognition came from programmers describing sessions where they wrote code “by vibe” rather than by strict adherence to patterns or specifications.
# Similar Concepts
- Creative Coding — programming as an artistic or expressive medium - - wikipedia 
- **Exploratory Programming** — writing code to learn about a problem space, with discovery as the primary goal - - martinfowler.com
- **Rapid Prototyping** — quickly assembling functional but disposable code to test ideas
- **Hacking** — in its positive sense, improvisational programming to make things work
- **Flow State** — a psychological state of deep immersion and focus that developers often associate with successful vibe coding sessions
# Cultural Context Vibe coding is often contrasted with highly structured practices such as test-driven development or formal specification. It appeals to developers who value momentum, playfulness, and discovery, though critics sometimes see it as undisciplined or unsustainable for long-term projects.
# See - Code Smell