Case studies · Software Design Group · MIT CSAIL

Concept design, applied to real systems.

The theory earns its keep on software people actually use: Zoom, Facebook, DNS, the Android camera stack, a GPT-powered tutor. Short studies isolate a single concept; longer ones work through a full redesign. Each opens in full on the group's publication site.

Shorter case studies

Breaking Integrity: Three Examples Apr 2, 2023 · 5 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com The Class Number Dilemma Feb 24, 2022 · 3 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com Upvote: An Example Concept Nov 17, 2021 · 5 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com Zoom's Missing Concept Aug 21, 2022 · 5 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com

Longer case studies

A GPT-powered tutor Jul 11, 2023 · 20 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com Android Camera API Jul 11, 2023 · 10 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com Concept Piggybacking in DNS Mar 11, 2022 · 11 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com Facebook and Dark Patterns Mar 25, 2022 · 13 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com Redesigning Zoom's Reaction Concept Jul 12, 2022 · 16 min Read on essenceofsoftware.com