Whether your goal is to find a new job, increase your job security, or grow within your current field, integrating architectural thinking into your role and daily activities can give you a holistic, strategic, and collaborative approach to problem-solving and an edge in the marketplace.
Looking at problems from a coding perspective is important but limiting explained Mark Richards, hands-on software architect, co-author of “The Fundamentals of Software Architecture: An Engineering Approach,” and founder of DeveloperToArchitect.com.
Being able to view problems with an architect's eye means looking beyond the surface. It changes your perspective by allowing you to understand the business drivers and trade-offs, leading to better solution development Richards explained.
In a nutshell, possessing this mindset can help you become more effective and have greater wisdom, reasoning and value than your peers.
Even better, the process of learning to think like an architect helps you develop valuable soft skills… and you don’t have to be a software architect to think like one.
Here’s how non-architects can apply architectural thinking to their daily work and interview practices, impressing managers and gaining an edge in the marketplace.
Start With the Why
Architectural thinking is about taking a step back and understanding the nature of the problem and the expected outcomes before you start choosing languages, data structures and so forth explained Mario Bittencourt, experienced software architect and author of several articles on architectural thinking.
“Don’t rush to how, until you understand the why,” he said.
Ask about and understand the main goals, the software’s purpose, and the specific pain points it will address for users. But don’t stop there. Ask about the number of users, the need for scalability in the future, performance, security protocols and the budget.
Asking questions like these during planning meetings or before answering interview questions about past experiences or hypothetical scenarios demonstrates a systematic approach to problem solving- which often produces more effective and cost-efficient solutions.
Before you start solving a problem on a whiteboard or tackle a take home coding assignment, asking these types of questions - or explaining that you normally ask them- can help you knock it out of the park.
Prioritization and Trade Offs
Thinking architecturally requires evaluating a wide range of solutions and their trade-offs.
From an architecture’s perspective the more options the better Richards said. So, start with brainstorming when evaluating problems, then demonstrate your knowledge of architectural characteristics by analyzing the positives, negatives and trade-offs of your top choices and their ability to meet the main goals.
How will option A affect cost, speed, resources, reliability and scalability for instance, versus option B and be sure to justify your reasoning. Again, showing your ability to evaluate trade-offs can help you stand out on the job or when providing examples of past projects during an interview.
People without architectural thinking tend to be all over the place when considering solutions, they make assumptions or get lost in the details on non-critical things Bittencourt said.
Architectural thinking provides structure. It’s a process and a discipline.
For example, setting priorities based on project goals, stakeholder needs, and future growth while maintaining flexibility is integral to architectural thinking because it leads to better decisions rather than just building to specifications or jumping to a solution too quickly.
Take your time. Architectural thinking is about breaking down problems, setting priorities and using a systematic approach to solving them.
Learn to Think Like an Architect
So how can you master the principles and practices of architectural thinking?
Become Familiar with NFRs
Non-functional requirements (NFRs) are the blocking and tackling of architectural thinking. They define key characteristics, a system's quality and how it behaves, in contrast to functional requirements, which specify what the system is supposed to do.
NFRs directly impact user satisfaction, business success and scalability. For example, becoming familiar with things like fault tolerance and responsiveness can help you view things with an architect’s eye.
Broaden Your Technical Knowledge
Coming up with a range of solutions to a problem requires technical depth, Richards said.
You really need T-shaped skills or deep expertise in one specific area while also possessing a broad range of general knowledge and skills across other disciplines. Having technical depth empowers professionals to adopt suitable technologies and frameworks efficiently, instead of sticking to familiar but potentially outdated solutions.
For instance, it helps to be familiar with a variety of caching tools, but you only need to know one really well. Having broader exposure allows you to consider more options, leading to better decision-making.
While there are plenty of technical learning resources to choose from, Richards recommends InfoQ, DZone and ThoughtWorks Radar to stay informed and broaden your technical knowledge. Acquiring technical depth is a gradual and continuous process. The best practice is to set aside 20 minutes every day for self-development.
Observe Architects in Action
What developers can learn from observing software architects is that they not only understand technology, but the business domain. Observe how they balance the immediate needs of users with the long-term business plan and vision. Look for their systems thinking that connects the parts of a software application to the bigger business ecosystem.
Start Small
Hone your questioning and architectural thinking skills on a small project or everyday activities that have less risk. Once you learn the logic, the discipline and the approach, you can adapt and apply your abilities to more complex problems.