Informatics 223 Applied Software Design Techniques Lecture 1 Duplication of course material for any commercial purpose without the explicit written permission of the professor is prohibited.
Today Logistics Course goals Defining design Onward
Logistics http://www.ics.uci.edu/~andre/informatics223s2017.html Professor: André van der Hoek (andre@uci.edu) No required book
Logistics Office hours by appointment Open door policy DBH 5038 E-mail
Course goals To know the theory of software design To become fluid in using a representative set of software design techniques To understand how to examine existing software designs To learn the practices of expert software designers
Structure of the course Lecture (some) Discussion (lots) Case study (one, ongoing) Design practice (several) No midterm or final
Questions
Defining design Decision making, in the face of uncertainty, with high penalties for error To choose the things we use shall look as they do A creative activity—it involves bringing into being something new and useful that has not existed previously Relating product with situation to give satisfaction The imaginative jump from present facts to future possibilities To form a plan or scheme of, to arrange or conceive in the mind, … for later execution
Defining design To initiate change in man-made things To plan or intend for a purpose To work out a solution in one’s mind The transition from possible solutions to a specific one …
Three themes Design focuses on identifying a novel envisioned future Design involves deliberate decision making and planning; it is not simply acting out of impulse Design decisions are consequential: there are stakeholders who must be satisfied with the result
Our definition To decide upon a plan for a novel change in the world that, when realized, satisfies stakeholders But as we did so opportunistically, we quickly figured out we needed something to frame the discussion, what are they doing when they are doing this? So we arrived at design behaviors – things they do, things that recur, and things that have a definite purpose in the design meeting with respect to advancing the design at hand.
Design designer plan maker change in the world other stakeholders audience experiences
Design a luxury airplane designer plan maker change in the world other stakeholders audience experiences
Design a library designer plan maker change in the world other stakeholders audience experiences
Design an award designer plan maker change in the world other stakeholders audience experiences
Design fields Architecture design Graphic design Fashion design Game design Chip design Car design Urban design Product design Interior design …
Design fields Architecture design Graphic design Fashion design Game design Chip design Car design Urban design Product design Interior design … Writing Painting Sculpting Music composition …
Design fields Architecture design Graphic design Fashion design Game design Chip design Car design Urban design Product design Interior design … Writing Painting Sculpting Music composition … Software design
Design designer plan maker change in the world other stakeholders audience experiences
Software design software designer source code compiler* runnable program other stakeholders users experiences [* or, at times, the person who installs and configures the software instead of the compiler]
Feasibility and desirability designer plan maker change in the world other stakeholders audience experiences
Feasibility and desirability designer plan maker change in the world other stakeholders audience experiences desirability
Four types of design desirability feasibility what is it to accomplish? how does one interact with it? desirability feasibility what is its conceptual core? what are its implementation details?
Four types of design what is it to accomplish? satisfactory experience how does one interact with it? satisfactory experience plan for realization change in the world what is its conceptual core? what are its implementation details?
Four types of software design what is it to accomplish? how does one interact with it? application design satisfactory experience plan for realization interaction design change in the world what is its conceptual core? what are its implementation details? architecture design implementation design
Design an instant message system what is it to accomplish? how does one interact with it? application design satisfactory experience plan for realization interaction design change in the world what is its conceptual core? what are its implementation details? architecture design implementation design
Design a word processor what is it to accomplish? how does one interact with it? application design satisfactory experience plan for realization interaction design change in the world what is its conceptual core? what are its implementation details? architecture design implementation design
Design cycle synthesize analyze evaluate
Design cycle goals constraints assumptions decisions ideas synthesize analyze evaluate
Goals A goal represents an explicit acknowledgment of a desired result that the eventual design solution must achieve Goals may be suggested by any of the stakeholders client other stakeholders audience designer Goals change over time, and may or may not be (partially) addressed by the current state of the design solution
Example goals The luxury airplane must be 10% more fuel-efficient than its predecessor The library must be able to hold 250,000 books The award must be representative of the professional society that is commissioning it
Constraints A constraint represents an explicit acknowledgment of a condition that restricts the design project Constraints may be suggested by any of the stakeholders client other stakeholders audience designer Constraints change over time, and may or may not be (partially) met by the current state of the design project
Example constraints The luxury airplane must weigh less than 50,000 pounds The library must not violate federal disability laws The award must cost less than $1000 to produce
Assumptions An assumption represents a fact that is taken for granted, may or may not be true, and influences the design project Assumptions may be made by any of the stakeholders client other stakeholders audience designer Assumptions change over time, and may or may not be (partially) fulfilled by the current state of the design project
Example assumptions The average person weighs 85 kilograms The library needs to serve the community with an area stocked with personal computers The professional society’s logo is red and white, which therefore must be its preferred colors for the award
Decisions A decision represents a specific choice of how to further the design solution, typically after some amount of consideration Decisions are the sole responsibility of the designer, though they can be (heavily) influenced by other stakeholders Decisions change over time, and new decisions may or may not (partially) align with the current state of the design project
Example decisions The fuselage and wings of the luxury airplane shall be made out of carbon composites The library shall have bookshelves that are not movable The award shall be made out of colored glass
Idea An idea represents a thought or opinion, ranging from highly unformed to fully formed, that potentially shapes the design solution Ideas typically are the sole responsibility of the designer, though they may be inspired by many different sources Ideas change over time, and new ideas may or may not (partially) align with the current state of the design project
Example ideas What if the luxury airplane had a shower on board? Perhaps the library membership cards should have RFID tags, so a visitor can simply grab the books they want, walk by an automated scanner, and have their books be on loan I am thinking that the award should be a variant of last year’s award
Design an instant message system synthesize goals constraints assumptions decisions ideas analyze evaluate
Design a word processor synthesize goals constraints assumptions decisions ideas analyze evaluate
Design the software to fly a drone synthesize goals constraints assumptions decisions ideas analyze evaluate
Routine, adaptive, and original design projects high original complexity adaptive routine low high low familiarity
Design an instant message system high original complexity adaptive routine low high low familiarity
Design a word processor high original complexity adaptive routine low high low familiarity
Design the software to fly a drone high original complexity adaptive routine low high low familiarity
Design is difficult!
In this class… …we introduce the practices of expert software designers that help ameliorate these difficulties …we study core ways in which software designers structure their solutions …we practice!
Our focus application design interaction design architecture design what is it to accomplish? how does one interact with it? application design satisfactory experience plan for realization interaction design change in the world what is its conceptual core? what are its implementation details? architecture design implementation design
Onward Choose, and have approved by me via e-mail by Friday April 7, noon, a software system that is 100,000 lines of code or greater. This will be the subject of your case study, throughout the quarter. Read all of the papers listed on the web site for April 6. Prepare four questions, observations, or assertions about the papers and their overall content (printed, with name and student id).