black box vs blueprint

black box

noun
  • A theoretical construct or device with known input and output characteristics but unknown method of operation. 

  • A flight recorder; the brightly colored cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders in an aircraft designed to aid in determining the cause of an accident. 

  • A device used in phreaking that prevents the calling party from being billed for the call placed. 

  • A type of theater characterized by a lack of decoration or complex mechanisms. 

  • Any similar device on motor vehicles, such as rail event recorders and ship trip recorders. 

verb
  • To focus on the inputs and outputs without worrying about the internal complexity. 

blueprint

noun
  • A detailed technical drawing (now often in some electronically storable and transmissible form). 

  • A print produced with this process. 

  • Any detailed plan, whether literal or figurative. 

  • A type of paper-based reproduction process producing white-on-blue images, used primarily for technical and architecture's drawings, now largely replaced by other technologies. 

verb
  • To make a blueprint for. 

  • To make a detailed operational plan for. 

How often have the words black box and blueprint occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )