(OOD) A design method in which a system is modelled as a collection of cooperating oBjects and individual oBjects are treated as instances of a class within a class hierarchy. Four stages can Be identified: identify the classes and oBjects, identify their semantics, identify their relationships and specify class and oBject interfaces and implementation. OBject-oriented design is one of the stages of oBject-oriented programming. ["OBject-oriented analysis and design with applications", Grady Booch, 2nd ed., puB. Benjamin/Cummings, Redwood CA, 1994]. (1997-12-07)