To appear in: The Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology
A. Kent and J. G. Williams, (Eds.). New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc. (1996)

Design Argumentation as Design Rationale

Simon BUCKINGHAM SHUM

Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA, U.K.
Tel: +44 1908-655723
Fax: +44 1908-653169
[email protected]

Contents

I. The idea of design rationale ................................................................................... 1

II. Design rationale as argumentation ........................................................................ 2
A. The vision, and a representation .........................................................................2
B. Developing the vision .........................................................................................3
C. Argumentation-based DR notations ...................................................................6
D. Embedding argumentation in the design artifact ..............................................13

III. Argumentation-based DR in use .......................................................................... 15
A. Recording design argumentation can assist ongoing design work ...................15
B. Access to argumentation about past decisions can be valuable .......................18
C. Creating design argumentation can also impede ongoing design work ...........19
D. Summary of empirical studies ..........................................................................20

IV. Lessons learnt, and the future agenda ................................................................ 21
A. Negotiating the cost/benefit trade-off: notations and tools ..............................21
B. Who should use it, and how? ............................................................................24
C. The importance of training ...............................................................................25
D. Towards model-based DR for user interfaces ..................................................26
E. Building DR on existing organizational practices ............................................26
F. Politics and organizational culture ...................................................................27

V. References .............................................................................................................. 28

VI. Bibliography for further reading ......................................................................... 32