To this end, we have developed a conceptual framework incorporating evolutionary design and maintenance of software. The conceptual framework is based on cooperative problem solving between designers and an integrated, knowledge-based, design environment, which supports the coevolution of specification and construction [Ritt 84,Swar 82]. The design environment framework is instantiated by innovative system building efforts supporting information access in high-functionality software environments, providing feedback on partial designs, and enhancing reuse, redesign and end-user modifiability. We have developed a multifaceted architecture for such environments, consisting of design creation tools that support both requirement specification and design construction, and domain knowledge bases (see Figure 1).
Orthogonal to the elements of an environment, the architecture supports three basic processes for information access: location, comprehension, and modification of stored design objects. Reuse of design objects is supported by using the catalog base. The catalog allows designers to reuse various perspectives of design objects and design experiences in the domain, either of their own, or of others that used the same design environments.
The multifaceted architecture enables an innovative information retrieval technique for complimenting the conventional approaches in locating design objects stored in the environments. The architecture takes advantage of the synergistic integration that conventional information retrieval systems are lacking. A partially articulated task at hand can be used to filter out irrelevant information and reduce related information spaces. It relieves designers of the task of specifying queries or navigating in information spaces for retrieval, thereby supporting designers to retain their working context. The environments then support the designers to comprehend the retrieved information, which may lead to refinement of their specification and construction.