Design of Design - Chapter 18

One of many problems with the model is that you're supposed to have a primary objective, but you might not always know what that is when you first start. He said that he began to realize at some point that his real use to his client wasn't for making goals and such, but actually for helping the client to determine what he actually wanted. Another problem with the model is the design tree. Similarly to setting the goals, we don't always know what the design tree looks like when we are first starting out. Furthermore, the design tree is far too simplistic. The nodes don't represent design decisions, but instead complete designs. Also, determining which path is the "best" to take while traversing the design tree is not feasible. Oftentimes, too many variables go into determining what is the best choice that you can't make a good decision by just looking at a design tree. The author also points out that, as the design process carries on, certain things may come to light that warrant a drastic design change.