Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!ispd-newsserver!nichols
From: nichols@ssd.kodak.com (Tim Nichols (37894))
Subject: Re: Art vs. Engineering
Message-ID: <1991May9.172546.9261@ssd.kodak.com>
Sender: news@ssd.kodak.com
Organization: Eastman Kodak
References: <35177@athertn.Atherton.COM> <1991May9.124559.2924@ssd.kodak.com> <1991May9.160716.29500@mcs.kent.edu>
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 9 May 91 17:25:46 GMT

In article <1991May9.160716.29500@mcs.kent.edu> rothstei@mcs.kent.edu (Michael Rothstein) writes:
>In article <1991May9.124559.2924@ssd.kodak.com> nichols@ssd.kodak.com (Tim Nichols (37894)) writes:
>>I contend that a better anaology would be the role of a building architect.
>>A building architect is aware of the technical aspects of construction, but 
>>his design effort is focused on how people interact with the building.  In a
>>similar vein, the software architect should be focused on how people interact
>>with the system.  Once the architecural design has been completed, the 
>>technical engineers will apply their processes to insure that the building 
>>(or software system) won't fall down.
>
>I had just finished editing my post when I saw this: I also tried to cancel
>my post but the software did not let me: at any rate this post answers my
>question, though I might add that some emphasis is needed on user interface
>design, which, IMHO, is one the most important products the software
>architect should develop.
>-- 
>Michael Rothstein (Kent State U)|	If cars want to kill themselves,

I couldn't agree more.  The design emphasis is primarily on user interface 
from an implemenation perspective.  I always emphasize the notion of 
"human interaction" to my students because as designers we sometimes forget
that there are human beings that ultimately have to cope with all those
multi-colored widgets on the screen.
-- 
  Tim Nichols                                        Eastman Kodak Company
  nichols@ssd.kodak.com	                              Rochester, New York 

  "Opinions are my own, and do not reflect those of Kodak or its management"