Pitfalls in Software “Architecting”: Some Issues in Transforming Paradigms from Manual to Computer-Supported Methods
Douglas E. Noble · Journal of Architectural Education · 1998
Faculty, researchers, and graduate students in academic settings produce a multitude of software programs for architecture. These tool builders are attempting to transform existing paradigms into computer-based tools for academia and the profession. Although the number of serious attempts at developing software is increasing dramatically and software authoring tools are continuing to improve, the successful integration of new software into teaching and practice often remains a problem. Inexperience in software development is causing many of these projects to be unsuccessful. This article represents a compendium of the common pitfalls in architectural software development that serves as a preliminary checklist. Pitfalls are found in deciding what software to make, the effects of computation, the nature of design, the process of transformation and implementation, and organization.