Empowering Teams through Collaborative Architecture

Curating Architectural Excellence: Lessons from a Gardener’s Perspective

Imagine an architect stepping into a project, taking a brief look at it, and giving general advice that often leaves a mark. This "fly-by architecture review" is a common situation that programmers and architects don't like. The advice given often extends too far from the context of the project, leading to pointless discussion. This approach rarely adds value and can leave teams feeling frustrated & directionless.

A more effective approach is for architects to think like gardeners rather than commanders. Gardeners shape, curate, and weed out the unnecessary, whereas commanders dictate and impose. Artists strive to create a collaborative environment where discussion is guided, shaped and encouraged rather than simply labeling decisions as right or wrong. But how is this achieved in practice?

Cultivating Collaborative Design

In many successful organizations, the collaborative approach to architectural research has proven effective over the years. These companies tend to have large divisions with innovative product lines that benefit from this collaboration. The ongoing debate, design, development and redesign of many products and materials has demonstrated the utility of this approach.

Long-Term Benefits of Collaborative Architecture

While dictating architecture can be faster and cheaper in the short term, it doesn’t build strong, autonomous teams. Allowing teams to reflect independently, develop architecture, and learn from their mistakes leads to better results in the long run. When architecture is the product of the team’s collective consciousness, execution is easier and more efficient.

Addressing Common Pitfalls

However, architectural research presents its own challenges. Architects can easily fall into the "drive-by architecture" trap, where they rush forward with feedback, leaving the team confused about next steps To prevent this, organize shared architectural principles that guide discussions and decisions. These principles provide a comprehensive framework and help avoid endless philosophical discussions. They’re also a learning tool for team members who may not know them.

Shared Architectural Principles

Here are some of the key principles to follow:

• Keep It Simple: Use the simplest solution that accomplishes the task.
• You Aren't Gonna Need It: Don't build features until they are necessary.
• Crawl, Walk, Run: Improve frequently, set milestones and improve incrementally.
• Automation is Key: Quality requires automated tests to ensure reliability.
• Know Your Users: Adapt efforts to the needs of end users, developers, and DevOps teams.
• Return on Investment (ROI): Focus on features that provide the most value.
• Independent Features: Design and test features independently to facilitate smooth releases.

Choosing Features Wisely

When selecting features, adhere to principles that prioritize user feedback and simplicity:

• Embrace MVP (Minimal Viable Product): Build slices, not the blocks, Start with a few use cases and build on feedback.
• Solve for Need: Implement only essential features and avoid unnecessary complexity. Implement non-essential features only when requested.
• Excel at change: know when to change course, let go, & have the tools to do it smoothly.
• Challenge the Customer: Sometimes, customers request features that might not align with the bigger picture. It's important to find alternative solutions that maintain the overall vision.

Embracing Flexibility

Over time, it has become clear that strict adherence to verticality in component design can lead to unnecessary complexity. While it is good for brands to address specific issues on their own, enforcing this too rigidly can be counterproductive. Sometimes, especially in the early stages of feature development, it can be more rewarding than trying to clean up properly.

Conclusion

As architects, our role is to guide, shape, and foster discussion rather than dictate terms. While it may be tempting to take a top-down approach, the long-term benefits of using collaborative team-driven architecture far outweigh the short-term By focusing on team driven participate by adhering to shared principles, we can overcome the pitfalls of architectural analysis and build robust, scalable solutions.

I hope these insights and thoughts are helpful. If you have further thoughts or experiences, I’d love to hear them in the comments