Augmenting Conceptual Software Designs With Their Rationales

E orts are being put in making available generic, and thus reusable, conceptual software designs for the bene t of knowledge system development. These generic conceptual designs de ne the boundaries of (alternative) solutions to a class of design problems (e.g. design of diagnostic or schedule applications). They allow the design problem to be approached as a con guration task. To increase their bene t, we propose a novel information structure to augment generic conceptual designs currently o ered. Design decisions are made explicit by this information structure and their underlying rationalizations are captured. This rationalization expresses the way in which each design decision satis es the postulated system requirements. Increased bene ts of the augmented generic conceptual designs concern guidance in modifying the prede ned design, in understanding implications of the modi cations, and in justifying the conceptual design to interest groups.