Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated
by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler
Modularity
A method of managing system complexity that involves dividing large systems into multiple, smaller self-contained systems.
Modularity is a structural principle used to manage complexity in systems. It involves identifying functional clusters of similarity in systems, and then transforming the clusters into interdependent self-contained systems (modules). For example, the modular design of computer memory chips provides computer owners the option of increasing the memory in their computer without any requirement to do so. If the design of the computer and memory chips were not modular in this way, the only practical method of upgrading computer memory would be to buy a new computer. The option to easily and inexpensively improve a system ...
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