The Design of Design: Essays from a Computer Scientist

Description

Making Sense of Design

Effective design is at the heart of everything from software development to engineering to architecture. But what do we really know about the design process? What leads to effective, elegant designs? The Design of Design addresses these questions.

These new essays by Fred Brooks contain extraordinary insights for designers in every discipline. Brooks pinpoints constants inherent in all design projects and uncovers processes and patterns likely to lead to excellence. Drawing on conversations with dozens of exceptional designers, as well as his own experiences in several design domains, Brooks observes that bold design decisions lead to better outcomes.

The author tracks the evolution of the design process, treats collaborative and distributed design, and illuminates what makes a truly great designer. He examines the nuts and bolts of design processes, including budget constraints of many kinds, aesthetics, design empiricism, and tools, and grounds this discussion in his own real-world examples - case studies ranging from home construction to IBM's Operating System/360. Throughout, Brooks reveals keys to success that every designer, design project manager, and design researcher should know.

CONTENTS:

Preface ix

Part I: Models of Designing 1

Chapter 1: The Design Question 3

Chapter 2: How Engineers Think of Design - The Rational Model 13

Chapter 3: What's Wrong with This Model? 21

Chapter 4: Requirements, Sin, and Contracts 39

Chapter 5: What Are Better Design Process Models? 51

Part III: Design Perspectives 103

Chapter 17: A Computer Scientist's Dream System for Designing Houses - Mind to Machine 203

Part V: Great Designers 229

Chapter 21: Case Study: Beach House View/360 259

Computer Architecture: Concepts and Evolution 347

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