Notes on the Synthesis of Form

Alexander's first book, written as his Harvard PhD, is the foundational text of design theory and the predecessor of his later work on pattern languages. The central argument is that design is the problem of achieving fit between form and its context — and that in traditional cultures this fit emerged unconsciously, while in modern design it has to be constructed explicitly. For product direction the book is difficult and worth the effort: most product decisions are attempts to produce fit between a form (the product) and a context (users, market, organisation) that nobody has described carefully enough. Alexander's thinking shaped object-oriented programming, wiki culture and every contemporary use of the word "pattern". A book that repays rereading.