Design First Philosophy

Design first philosophy

Grady Booch, the IBM research scientist, observed “all architecture is design but not all design is architecture“. In other words, architecture does not happen by accident but requires a deliberate, thoughtful design process.

You may have read the academic definition of architecture: when applied to systems it refers to the organization of processes, procedures, practices and policies which are combined for a specific purpose. (Some even include people or 'actors' as part of the architecture - but we'll leave that for others to debate) It is readily understood that a system which is well-architected is easier to use and maintain. The system can be readily extended, and the composition of the system is logically coherent and physically cohesive. A well-architected system is easy to spot. A poorly architected system is everyone's bane.

Architecture is not important for what it is, but for what it does. Architecture is 'purpose driven', produced to achieve a specific outcome. At Strategic Machines, we like to think of an architecture's most fundamental purpose as not just solving the problem at hand but solving it in a manner that makes the complex simple. We're not talking about being simplistic, but simple.

The development of well-designed architecture takes time, and the engagement of the most qualified functional and technical experts in the subject area. Time is needed to parse through the problem and consider the tradeoffs of various options that are typically available to the design team. It does not mean design by committee, but it does mean soliciting broadly for insights from the visionaries in the Industry. At times it requires bold decisions - historic practices are not immune to change.

But maybe the most important element of architecture is the quality of its' design. We believe that all businesses are software businesses, and as Grady Booch has noted, software not only enables a business but can have unintended consequences as well. The market growth of most businesses is inextricably linked to software. The architecture of those systems ranks among a company's most important assets. A well-designed architecture delivers increasing returns.

We deliver intelligent machines that are designed to deliver increasing returns to a company, helping them build brand and goodwill with their customers and constituents.