Communicating the Concept

The product of the Structured Planning process is a Plan, made up of System Elements (Figures 21, 22 and 23) that describe the ideas developed to meet the needs of the project as they are outlined in the Charter and Defining Statements and refined through the Action Analysis process. Each System Element has five major parts:

Title. The title is no more than a few words (two or three, typically), in a noun phrase that captures the essence of the System Element. A good title is unique and memorable.

Related System Elements. Other System Elements that ought to be read with this one are listed in this section. The best grasp of a complex concept is achieved when ideas are appreciated in a meaningful order. Especially when there are large numbers of System Elements, there is a need to know which are strongly associated. Establishing the multiple relatedness of Elements is a hypertext concept; it allows the Plan to be examined in more than one way – with options suggested, but the actual order determined by the reader. For a large number of System Elements, the structure of association can be further extended by using VTCON to create a hierarchical Communication Structure in which clusters and hierarchy are established under the relation, “should be considered together”.

Superset Elements and Subset Elements. In the process of organizing the System Elements (possibly using VTCON), it is frequently possible to group them hierarchically. The System Element form has provisions for indicating higher and lower level associations where they exist as superset or subset relationships.

Properties. Expressed in the same noun-phrase, bullet format as they were for Solution Elements, Properties are what it is. Together with Features, these are the essential “specifications” for what the System Element must be and do.

Features. These are verb-phrase, bullet lines highlighting the special functions that the System Element performs – what it does. They point out what is expected of the final product in as general terms as possible; specifying without over-specifying. A balancing act is required here (as well as for Properties) to provide sure guidelines without taking away too much of the maneuvering room required for creative work by the follow-on design team charged to develop the details.

Building on the hill-climbing metaphor often used in optimization theory, good Properties and Features will keep the design team climbing the right hill, but will let them find their own best path to the top.

Fulfilled Functions. This section simply lists the Functions (from the entire Function list) that the System Element fulfills. The Function list allows the design team to track the solution back to the Functions that were considered by the concept development team.

Associated Design Factors. Along with Fulfilled Functions, this section provides “track-back” information that helps the design team to understand the motivating insights that led to the ideas incorporated in the System Element.

Discussion. A full narrative description of the idea is given in the discussion section, including reasons for why the form evolved as it did. The concept development team uses this section to provide all the detail that has surfaced in the planning process, even though the purpose of the Plan is to express concept rather than detail. In effect, what is said to the design teams who will continue on is: “Use this if you don’t come up with better ideas”. Diagrams, mathematical analyses, drawings, photographs – even video clips and animations, if the medium of the Plan can support them – may be used here to supplement text. The goal is to make the description as helpful as possible. No limit exists for the discussion section.

Scenario. Where the Discussion illuminates the structure of the System Element with regard to its essential components, the Scenario does the same thing for the way it works. The best static description never quite explains as well as following an example in operation. The Scenario employs that insight to provide a dynamic description. Expressed in present-tense style, the scenario delivers a user’s-eye view of the System Element’s features in action.