The notion of feature is widely used to denote the functional structure and visible properties of a software system. More specifically, features are meant to represent a user-centric organization of a software system's functionality. Yet, other than during requirements analysis, features are seldom treated explicitly by most existing tools and methods.This paper argues that a feature orientation can provide benefits to software developers throughout the software life cycle. We envisage specific applications of the notion of feature that provide a powerful and unifying structure for software life cycle artifacts and activities. We discuss the problems and issues to be addressed, a brief summary of our current research work, and suggestions and directions for future research in a new area we call "feature engineering".