Many benefits potentially stem from a structured representation and use of “design rationales”, i.e. the deliberations underlying a software design process. Explicitly-represented rationales help us understand the design better so that we can produce a better design, maintain the resulting artifact better, and exploit the cumulated knowledge when we need to redesign it. Explicit representation of the rationales also provide a basis for reviewing or justifying the decisions that have been made, for communicating with other members of the design team more easily, and for defining computer services that support various design activities, such as keeping track of dependencies or managing multiple viewpoints. Technologies, that have recently become available, such as multi-media and distributed databases, provide the necessary ingredients for pursuing these potential benefits seriously. As a result, in the past few year we have seen growing interest in design rationale management.
Abstract: Many benefits potentially stem from a structured representation and use of “design rationales”, i.e. the deliberations underlying a software design process. Explicitly-represented rationales help us understand the design better so that we can produce a better design, maintain the resulting artifact better, and exploit the cumulated knowledge when we need to redesign it. Explicit representation of the rationales also provide a basis for reviewing or justifying the decisions that have been made, for communicating with other members of the design team more easily, and for defining computer services that support various design activities, such as keeping track of dependencies or managing multiple viewpoints. Technologies, that have recently become available, such as multi-media and distributed databases, provide the necessary ingredients for pursuing these potential benefits seriously. As a result, in the past few year we have seen growing interest in design rationale management.
