on system design
In this essay, I consider some of the factors that are making it more and more difficult to expend the effort necessary to do system design. Because of changes in the economics of the field in both industry and research, we have become less able to take the time needed to do real system design, and to train the next generation of designers. Because of the intellectual property landscape, we are less able to discuss system design. The end result is that we do less good system design than we used to, at least in those environments where system design used to be most common. But there are reasons to be optimistic about the future of system design, which appears to be happening in non-traditional ways and in non-traditional venues.
system design training education