Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
software? Digital media have unique properties that distinguish
them from print-based and electronic predecessors. Software
designers need to be able to make a systematic study and
comparison of different media — print, audiovisual, and digital
— examining their properties and affordances with a critical
eye to how these properties shape and constrain the artifacts
realized in them.”
What both architects and designers need most is a depth of experience.
They are not born as architects or designers — they graduate to that
position. Theoretical knowledge of architecture and design principles,
although important, is not a substitute for the experience one gains by
learning on the job, creating new systems on an empty canvas.
Occam's Razor
William of Ockham (1285-1349) is credited with formulating the (logical)
razor that bears his name, which is phrased “entities ar e not to be
multiplied beyond necessity.” The origins of what has come to be known
as Occam's razor are traceable to the works of earlier philosophers all
the way back to Aristotle in 322 BC. Like many Franciscan monks of his
time, William was a minimalist in his life, idealizing a life of poverty. He
argued that universals had no existence outside the mind and that we do
not need universals to explain anything.
Occam's razor is also called the Principle of Parsimony. These days,
it is usually interpreted to mean something like “the simpler the explana-
tion, the better” or “do not multiply hypotheses unnecessarily.” Occam's
razor has become a basic perspective for those who follow science and
analytics; it is a guide to choosing the hypothesis that contains the least
number of unproven assumptions. It must be noted that Occam's razor
never claims to choose the
best
theory, but only proposes simplicity as
the deciding factor in choosing between two otherwise equal theories. It
is possible that, given more information, the more complex theory might
turn out to be correct.
In most projects, designers are required to base their solution on a
conceptual model of a real-world system (or process). It often appears
that a simple model best approximating the system will suffice. In practice,
however, such solutions based on simple models fail to handle the problem
and often cause a series of new problems. Designers often go through
several complete redesigns before finding a viable solution. This is really
not a violation of Occam's razor, which does not refer to the necessity of
simple solutions as much as choosing simplicity in solutions. In this case,
