A is for Architecture

Before we start this year's A to Z Challenge, participants have been asked to say a big (and surprise) Thank You to Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out for starting this Challenge.

This year, for the A to Z Blogging Challenge I'm posting alphabetically on topics related to software development...

To kick things off, I want to be clear about one thing. This is not a geek series about programming. It doesn't even say much about technology. It is about the process of software development from a human perspective, and some habits of thought that I believe lead to good, robust, and useful software.

This first post is about architecture, which I think encapsulates the whole series.

When you say "architect", most people think of buildings.

© Photographer Galina Barskaya | Agency: Dreamstime.com

No problem. What I'm talking about here is the essence of architectural thinking. That essence holds true in any field where your aim is to build something, be it a house, a three-course meal, or a piece of software. This essence, the thing that distinguishes an architect from a builder, is the use of deliberate planning and thinking skills to achieve a well-built end result that serves its purpose, is a pleasure to use, and which you are proud to be associated with.

In traditional building architecture, you may start with a blank slate, the big picture, and work things out from the top down. An empty field. What do you need to incorporate? Lay out the major elements and gradually fill in finer and finer detail.

Or you may start with one key idea and build out from there. The entrance hall. An imposing atrium. A courtyard with fountains. A shape.

Or you may start with some peculiar constraints. An unusually long and narrow plot. A steep hillside. The use of a particular material.

Wherever you start from, one thing that distinguishes good from poor architecture is that, although the dominant idea may be visible or even deliberately conspicuous, it won't dominate to the exclusion of all else. A breathtaking atrium may wow visitors to your headquarters, but the office space around it still needs to be useable. You don't get to skimp on ventilation, or disabled access, or fire safety, just because those pesky elements interfere with your grand vision.

Whatever your starting point, good architecture will arrive at a sound and coherent whole, where everything works and clearly belongs together.

The same applies in software development. You need to balance function (what it does) with a whole host of other constraints like useability, performance, security, auditability, availability, scalability, maintainability, and cost, to name a few.

A beautiful building doesn't happen by chance, and neither does beautiful software. In both arenas, there are deliberate and expert disciplines that need to be applied. These disciplines are your craft. You need to master them in order to produce good results reliably.

In other words, architecture is the art of doing things right by conscious design rather than purely by accident.