The fifth OOPSLA DesignFest is about design and creativity. The DesignFest event has been created to give OOPSLA attendees the opportunity to learn more about design by doing it. DesignFest is not about passively sitting and listening to experts talk about design. DesignFest is about sharpening your design skills by rolling up your sleeves and working on a real problem with others in the field! People like for example Ward Cunningham, Ralph Johnson and Grady Booch.

In the DesignFest you will work in small groups to solve a particular design problem, bringing to bear your experience and skills in object-oriented design and/or in working on similar problems. The goal is to learn new techniques from each other and to uncover and articulate the analysis and design patterns that we already use subconsciously.

Design teams will be provided with a timetable, process hints and a list of deliverables. During the session, teams will get the opportunity to improve their designs by periodically comparing their work with that of other teams solving the same problem independently.

The results of all groups will be presented at the DesignFest panel held on Friday. There will also be a poster exhibit for the final reports from each design team. After OOPSLA, the design problems and the solutions developed at OOPSLA will be published on the DesignFest Web site and, of course, they will be implemented during the CodeFest. The panel is a public event, so please come along, even if you don't have time to participate in a DesignFest Session.

This year the following 5 problems have been chosen:

1. A Drink Vending Machine
2. Event Logging Facility
3. Timer Device
4. Network Document Distribution Service
5. Concept Development