In the first part of this post, we explored these “rules”:
- Allow Architecture to Emerge
- Treat it Like a Product
- A Picture is Worth…
- Everyone IS an Architect and Everyone OWNS the Architecture
Now, I’d like to continue sharing the final set of four rules for your consideration in your agile architectural travels.
#5) Keep it Simple and Connect to the Customer
This one is quite near and dear to my heart. Why might you ask? Because I really like complexity. I like engineering complex solutions to simple…complex customer problems. And it’s also quite comfortable for me to fall into that over-engineering, gold-plating, doing more than is required mindset.
Why?
Wow, the title sounds quite bombastic, doesn’t it? And I sound quite full of myself, don’t I? Well…perhaps I am.
Nevertheless, I want to go on record with some simple and pragmatic advice for agile organizations and teams when they’re trying to sort out how architecture “fits” in agile contexts.
In no particular order, here are my guidelines:
#1) Allow Architecture to Emerge
I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s really, really important. The difference is moving from traditional architecture, which –
- Performs Big Design Up Front (BDUF), aka Big Bang;
- Develops a “complete” architectural concept before coding begins;
- Approaches construction horizontally, with delayed layer integration
