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"Architecture" is a funny word in software development. Funny because what they call "software design" is still considered "architecture" to some. And what they

"Architecture" is a funny word in software development. Funny because what they call "software design" is still considered "architecture" to some. And what they call "architecture" I prefer to call "topology". But regardless of what you call it, I generally agree with the article that application topology should be loose and adapt to changing requirements. Use well known software patterns and principals when writing modules, etc. Refactor cruft swiftly as needed. Maybe it's just me, but after a decade of building software systems it's all fairly obvious. Yet still important to teach and mentor to juniors.

rubiquity 11y ago
I've never been comfortable with: - working with people in software who hold a title of architect - being referred to as an architect personally - having the work that I do referred to as architecture Design looks much less cool on a resume but is far more accurate and portrays a certain nimbleness. Anecdotally, the people I've ever worked with who did consider themselves "Software Architects" were generally quite poor at their jobs.
rubyfan 11y ago
I happen to work with both folks who hold the title "Architect" and others "Designer". In practice there's often overlap in skills in those roles. In my experience there are different types of architect, some focused on infrastructure, perhaps the "topology" you're referring to and some focusing on the solution. The solution architect tends to focus on delivering business solution and capability while the designer is focused on software implementation.
m-i-l 11y ago
In a large organisation you'll typically have a number of different architecture roles, i.e. its always something Architect. For example, there are Enterprise Architect, Line-of-Business Architect and Solution Architect roles for differing levels of vertical alignment within the business, and there are Information Architect, Data Architect, Infrastructure Architect, etc. roles for differing levels of horizontal alignment. Similarly within design you'll find a number of design roles, e.g. UX Design, UI Design, etc.
- arethuza 11y ago
  I've found that different organisations seem to have completely different definitions of "Enterprise Architect" - some use to to cover infrastructure and applications and others applications and business processes.

rubiquity 11y ago

I've never been comfortable with: - working with people in software who hold a title of architect - being referred to as an architect personally - having the work that I do referred to as architecture Design looks much less cool on a resume but is far more accurate and portrays a certain nimbleness. Anecdotally, the people I've ever worked with who did consider themselves "Software Architects" were generally quite poor at their jobs.

rubyfan 11y ago

I happen to work with both folks who hold the title "Architect" and others "Designer". In practice there's often overlap in skills in those roles. In my experience there are different types of architect, some focused on infrastructure, perhaps the "topology" you're referring to and some focusing on the solution. The solution architect tends to focus on delivering business solution and capability while the designer is focused on software implementation.

m-i-l 11y ago

In a large organisation you'll typically have a number of different architecture roles, i.e. its always something Architect. For example, there are Enterprise Architect, Line-of-Business Architect and Solution Architect roles for differing levels of vertical alignment within the business, and there are Information Architect, Data Architect, Infrastructure Architect, etc. roles for differing levels of horizontal alignment. Similarly within design you'll find a number of design roles, e.g. UX Design, UI Design, etc.

arethuza 11y ago
I've found that different organisations seem to have completely different definitions of "Enterprise Architect" - some use to to cover infrastructure and applications and others applications and business processes.