ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Synthesis of Integral Design

Alright, so let's imagine you are building a toy castle out of Lego blocks. First, you need to have an idea of what your castle will look like. You might imagine it having tall towers, a drawbridge, and lots of different colors, like blue and gray. This idea of what your castle will look like is called the design.

Now, to actually build the castle, you need to start putting the Lego blocks together. You might start by building the base of the castle using blue blocks. Then, you can add gray blocks on top to create the towers. You can also add other details, like a door and windows, using smaller, different colored blocks.

When you are building the castle, you need to make sure that all the pieces fit together properly. The blue and gray blocks need to fit tightly, so they don't fall apart. The smaller blocks need to be placed in the right spots to create the doors and windows. This process of making sure everything fits together properly is called synthesis.

In the same way, when people design things in real life, like buildings or products, they also go through a process of synthesis. They have an idea of what the final design should look like, and then they start putting all the different parts and pieces together to create the finished product.

However, instead of using Lego blocks, they use things like computer programs, drawings, and models. They combine different ideas, materials, and technologies to create a final design that is functional and looks good. This process requires a lot of attention to detail and careful planning to make sure everything works well together.

So, the synthesis of integral design is the process of combining different elements, ideas, and technologies to create a final design that meets all the requirements and looks great. It's like building a toy castle out of Lego blocks, but on a much bigger and more complex scale.