Software Design 2e - DIM

22The nature of the design processProblems like these can be hard to resolve, since concentrating upon solving oneaspect in isolation (such as handling the single event) may eventually result in aninability to produce a solution for the second at all. In such cases our problem becomesone of producing a solution to the combined needs, since separating them out is not avalid option.SummaryThis chapter has sought to examine the nature of the design process in fairly general terms. It hasintroduced a number of concepts, many of which will reappear later, and will be described ingreater detail where appropriate. Some particularly important ideas presented in this chapter are:nnthe design process is concerned with describing how a requirement is to be met by the designproduct;design representation forms provide means of modelling ideas about a design, and also ofpresenting the design plans to the programmer;nnabstraction is used in problem-solving, and is used to help separate the logical and physicalaspects of the design process;the software design problem is a ‘wicked’ one and this imposes constraints upon the way inwhich the process of design can be organized and managed.Further readingJones J. Christopher (1970). Design Methods: Seeds of Human Futures. Wiley InternationalThe opening chapters of this book provide an excellent degree of insight into the nature of thedesign process. The later chapters are less directly relevant to the issues of software design.Cross N. (ed.) (1984). Developments in Design Methodology. WileyThis collected set of articles and papers contains some significant contributions from authorssuch as Horst Rittel and Herb Simon. There is a strong and valuable input from a number ofauthors who bring the ideas of cognitive science to the study of design and designing.Design Studies. ButterworthThis journal of the Design Research Society provides an insight into design issues affecting awide range of fields of application for design techniques.Exercises1.1 You are asked to plan a journey by air from Manchester in England to Pittsburgh in the USA.Airline A is cheap, but involves flying to Chicago, waiting there for three hours and then flying