I think consistency plays a big role here. If you're into small modules, stay consistent and separate things. If you're into OO-design, try to encapsulate and

I think consistency plays a big role here. If you're into small modules, stay consistent and separate things. If you're into OO-design, try to encapsulate and make your objects re-usable. When you start losing this consistency and drift away from the architectural vision in order to make quick-wins ("lets just tuck this feature to this module even though it might not really belong there..."), that's when things turn into mud. Understanding the architecture and its philosophy gives you a big insight into the code, the way its structured, where things fit together. It saves you time. With solid architecture you know where to change things and where to add them. I think it's timeless in this sense. Its consistency applies everywhere. Once you 'get it', and stick to it, things make sense.