Design of Design Summary

Chapter 3

     Chapter three goes into a further explanation of both the benefits and shortcomings of the Rational Model to the design process.  The author concludes that perhaps the most basic and critical service an engineer provides to his or her client is to help the client determine the client's goals.  Under the Rational Model, the engineer has no way to know what the various potential "branches" of the decision tree could bring in the context of the client's goal.  In other words, the Rational Model fails to take adequate consideration of the client's needs in developing the design for the ultimate benefit of the client.  Moreover, determining the value of any "branch" of the decision tree depends on the experience and estimates of the engineer, so this type of modeling is not as useful to an engineer with less experience.

     The author goes on to discuss additional problems with the Rational Model: first, the changing desires of the client and second, changing constraints arising during implementation.  These are frequent issues where environmental factors come into play during the process of actually implementing the design.  This probably explains the author's observation that most experienced designers do not actually use the Rational Model.  Royce's own attempts to address some of these shortcomings to the Waterfall Model are outlined, but these models persist in the design world.  The author specifically discusses how different organizations utilize these models and the importance of such organizational implementation to the designer.

     The author concludes with a psychological discussion of the typical designer or engineer.  Mr. Brooks notes that most designers are right-brained individuals who must frequently work for the goals of clients who are not necessarily right-brained themselves.  Understanding this psychological issue can help designers choose a better model and explain design issues to the client.  Ultimately, the Rational Model is flawed not in its conception, but in its implementation, as it fails to account for either the needs of clients or for the need for flexibility in light of issues that may arise during the process of implementing the design in the real world.

Chapter 2

     Chapter 2 of the text begins with a discussion of the various aspects of model creation that the designer must consider, specifically the primary goal, secondary goals, utility, and any constraints.  The chapter then discusses other attributes of modeling such as resource allocation.  The author suggestes using decisions trees as tools for creating useful design models and outlines the decision tree method using the example of clock making.

     This chapter goes on to discuss the history of modeling in design and references some of the most notable inventors, thinkers, and designers in history, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Winston Royce, and Herbert Simon, all notable for their innovations in art and invention, computer science, and artificial intelligence, respectively.  The author specifically focuses on Royce's seven-step "Waterfall Model" and the contribution of the Waterfall Model to the Rational Model.  The chapter concludes by discussing both the utility and the shortcomings of the Rational Model.

Chapter 1

     Chapter 1 discusses basics of design philosophy and incorporates the views of notable figures from Sir Francis Bacon and Plato to Herbert Simon and Dorothy Sayers.  The author of the text specifically focuses on the design philosophy of Dorothy Sayers and her breakdown of design into three phases: design idea, design implementation, and design interaction.  This chapter also discusses the role of the design concept in the context of the design of the IBM System/360 computer and the difficulty of carrying a design from the conceptual to prototype stage.  This chapter is essentially an overview of design philosophy and includes a brief discussion of the basic concepts of functionality, aesthetics, and various design approaches.