Peculiarity of software design: extent to which commercial interests have dominated the codifying of associated practices More widely known design methods have been developed and marketed largely by consultants and commercial organizations Not true for requirements or testing Suggests a real need for design skills, but does not create an objective forum for evaluation Conclusions Life belt has become waterlogged and acting more like a leg iron Need to stop pretending that software design is largely a matter of following a set of well-defined activities recognize it as a creative process that requires us to develop design skills needed to build software systems of the future How do we identify, grow, and encourage those talents needed for the great designers who will create elegant and effective solutions to problems?Peculiarity of software design: extent to which commercial interests have dominated the codifying of associated practices More widely known design methods have been developed and marketed largely by consultants and commercial organizations. Not true for requirements or testing Suggests a real need for design skills, but does not create an objective forum for evaluation. Conclusions: Life belt has become waterlogged and acting more like a leg iron. Need to stop pretending that software design is largely a matter of following a set of well-defined activities. Recognize it as a creative process that requires us to develop design skills needed to build software systems of the future. How do we identify, grow, and encourage those talents needed for the great designers who will create elegant and effective solutions to problems? ���