Design of Design - Chapter 1

Chapter one opens with quotes from Sir Francis Bacon and Herbert Simon suggesting that two designers in completely different fields can discuss the design of each other's work without particular knowledge of the field it pertains to. The chapter explains that this is a result of the fundamentals of design. Since design is essentially just a plan at its roots, that plan can be constructively criticized by another designer without taking technical details into account. As far as software goes, the author divides the creative process into two tasks: essential and incidental, with essence being the design and incident being implementation. Then, the Design Concept was introduced. The book explains that, if you're designing something, you may not realize that you are actually designing, but the fundamentals of design are all still present whether you know it or not. However, the book notes that recognizing the Design Concept has benefits. By focusing on the Design Concept, it will aid your team in the design process. The chapter tells us that focusing on designs has been around for quite a while, but thinking about the process of design itself is something that is relatively new. The chapter ends by clarifying that this book will be all about original system design rather than redesign or artistic design.