Information Systems
College of Business Administration
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Peacock and the Crane

A Peacock spreading its gorgeous tail mocked a Crane that passed by, ridiculing the ashen hue of its plumage and saying, “I am robed, like a king, in gold and purple and all the colors of the rainbow; while you have not a bit of color on your wings.” “True,” replied the Crane; “but I soar to the heights of heaven and lift up my voice to the stars, while you walk below, like a cock, among the birds of the dunghill.”


Moral: Fine feathers don't make fine birds.

A good system is not only made up of what you see on the outside, but what it has on the inside too. Though appearances are important, but it is merely the finishing on the cake. What makes a system thoroughly important is its functionality. A system with all the bells and whistle, and poorly designed interior may look nice, but will not meet the demand of the customer, and defeat the purpose of creating the system. It is important that the system meets the functional demands of your clients first. Looks and aesthetics can follow after functional requirements have been reached. A system is only as beautiful as well as it operates. A system that looks nice but operates poorly by not doing what it was created to do, in other words, does not meet requirement target, and is a failed system.


These stories are adapted examples written in my class, IS 6840 (formerly MSIS 488).
© Vicki L. Sauter. All rights Reserved.


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© Vicki L. Sauter. All rights Reserved.