The Cognitive Consequences of Object-Oriented Design

The most valuable tools or methodologies supporting the design of interactive systems are those that simultaneously ease the process of design and improve the usability of the resulting system. We consider the potential of the object-oriented paradigm in providing this dual function. After briefly reviewing what is known about the design process and some important characteristics of object-oriented programming and design, we speculate on the possible cognitive consequences of this paradigm for problem understanding, problem decomposition, and design result. We conclude with research issues raised by our analysis.

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