After discussing Soul of a New Machine: Wordle-like keywords

General aspects of high-tech production

There is no 'law of physics' or mathematics that governs the higher level design of systems, of software, of devices. Agree a definition of what high-tech production is in general.
Designing and building something to solve a problem.
Is software development a kind of engineering?

No Yes Artistic Expressive

What words describe high-tech design work, its outputs, its ethos?

Craft Purpose constraints requirements

design plan optimisation

craft first-time (all the time) creative

What roles are essential?

architect designer user

Engineering culture and work practices

What impressions do you have of the sense of a high-tech workplace?

Respect Dinosaur value Pigeonholed Geeks

What reflects the values of design work?

Autonomy Responsibility Problem-solving Empowering

challenging 

management hierarchy technical strength 

List engineering management practices you identified at Data General...
Using that list, contrast it with process and practice specifications of different life cycles, management frameworks and methods. For example, what aspects of the culture in Data General's Eagle could be depicted as good management practice? If you had to give them a label would any of the practices at Data General fit into the practices of Extreme Programming?

Innovation, management and leadership

Who drove the Eagle? Who designed it? What did they need to do to express it?

 Ed de Castro? Steve Wallach Rosemarie Tom?

What strategies did they bring into play?

Machiavellian political power new

creative context conditions LIMITS timing
WORK do/act process

What roles were essential?

Faclilitator  buffer Leader

designer followers lieutenants

Teams and interaction.

What happens in teams? What works well, what doesn't?

Stability 3mths 3 years deadlines
realism Ownership specialisation pushing

creative games limits Socials
social club reviews dog racing

 Utlimate Test Frisbee

Trust

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Additional resources: (thanks to Alex)

Main page for the CS330 course

Picture of the team, Kidder & Tom also a map of the Adventure game and some block diagrams

Links to advertisements and printed company material, pictures of the machine & boards and loads of technical documentation. Also links to publications & patents (as mentioned in the book) on the topic.

Picture of the team together with names & quick bio

Bio on Ed de Castro

Seminar at the Bank of Ireland Innovation Lounge

Special off-site lecture on Thursday (June 4) held at the Bank of Ireland Innovation Lounge - Bank of Ireland, 1 Grand Canal Square, Docklands, Dublin 2.

Construction Exercise 2014-15

Some photos from the construction exercise 2014-15 held on 5/June/2015 in Q201, Lochlann Quinn Building, Belfield.

Exercise: Requirements Design Trade-off

This exercise has been adapted from Alexander’s ‘Notes on the Synthesis of Form’ (Alexander, 1964); the simple design problem from section 1 ‘the need for rationality.’ Alexander’s classic design tetrad characterises trade-offs between the major product requirements: simplicity, performance, features, economy.

Objective
Organise, model and explore the interrelationship between different requirements.
Requirements/Design Preparation
1. In groups of 2 or 3 categorise the following non-functional requirements for an imaginary high tech product.
Statement of non-functional requirements

1. A simpler product (system, service, device) will be easier to manufacture and operate.
2. A simple product with fewer features is going to be less costly to maintain.
3. A simple product is easier to construct as it has fewer features.
4. Greater system performance or power is achieved by including more (advanced) features.
5. A highly optimised product is difficult to improve, change, fix or maintain without degrading its performance.
6. A simpler product does not deliver as many features or options as a more complex product.
7. A simple product using fewer specialised parts will not perform to as high a level as one using specialised optimised parts and sub-systems.
8. Adding more features makes the product more difficult to maintain.

2. Consider following product requirements categories: Simplicity, Performance, Feature Set, Build/Operate Economy.

3a. Map these non-functional product requirements to the following categories: Simplicity, Performance, Features,  Economy (+ or - for complement or conflict). 

3b. (Online version) Use a Jamboard to draw the trade-off diagram (link). Each group draw numbered arrows with plus or minus indicators (+/-) to complete the diagram, illustrating the relationships between the requirements listed. 

Discussion:

• Do requirements influence design decisions?
• Is a unique solution possible satisfying all requirements?
• Do requirements specify design?
• Is it possible to overcome contradictory requirements?
• Would more detail enable us to overcome contradiction?
• Will computer modelling of requirements enable conflicts to be resolved?
• Does the design of the product limit which requirements can be delivered?
• Is there always a trade-off between requirements and design?

Reference:
Alexander, C. (1964) Notes on the Synthesis of Form, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press.

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A Collage of Outputs from the Requirements Exercise