architecture-handbook

The Expectations of an Architect

From the research conducted as part of Made Tech’s internal Architecture Discovery project we identified the following core expectations of an Architect:

• Guide technology decisions within the team or organisation by defining the architecture decisions and design principles
• Recommend improvements to solutions through continually analyzing the architecture and technical environment
• Keep current with latest technology and industry trends
• Ensure compliance with decisions and principles
• Previous exposure and experience to multiple technologies, frameworks, platforms and environments
• Have business domain knowledge and expertise to effectively communicate with business stakeholders
• Possess interpersonal skills including teamwork, facilitation and leadership
• Understand the political climate of the enterprise and be able to navigate the politics

Common Questions ?

• Do they Code?

Yes and No.

Most Architects have coded in the past and have a good understanding of code, some continue to code today but others do not. This is often their choice.

Gregor Hohpe addresses this nicely in his blog Debugging Architects

Architects must visit the engine room. Not to deliver code but to re-emerge with new insights.

The gist here is they must work with developers and be able to understand and gain insight into how they work.

They might do this by coding with the team or by simply discussing the code and development process with the team. However this requires understanding and enough technical knowledge to talk on the same level as developers and it also needs to be somewhat in depth. Only attending stand-ups isn’t going to cut it.

• Do they design everything ? no
• Do they need to know everything ? no

Next - The skills and behaviours of an Architect