Author Archives: Rebecca

Software Architecture Stewardship

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Rebecca

On agile teams, architects do more than design and implement the interesting tricky bits. They typically balance a wide range of concerns: short-term goals, overall system design integrity, risks versus efforts, design expediency… The successful agile architects I know aren’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Software Architecture | Leave a comment

Agile Architecture Myths #3 Good Architecture Emerges

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Rebecca

Last time I left the cap off of the toothpaste, a small blob of toothpaste flowed onto the counter. No planning; it just emerged. Now I know that emergent software architecture is another thing entirely. We can’t anticipate everything about … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Software Architecture, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Software Decision Making Under Stress

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Rebecca

I recently blogged about my discomfort with making software design decisions at “the last responsible moment” and suggested that deciding at the “most responsible moment” might be a better approach. To me, a slight semantic shift made a difference in … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Psychology, Software Design | 2 Comments

Agile Architecture Myths #2 Architecture Decisions Should Be Made At the Last Responsible Moment

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Rebecca

In Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit, Mary and Tom Poppendieck describe “the last responsible moment” for making decisions: Concurrent development makes it possible to delay commitment until the last responsible moment, that is, the moment at which failing to … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Software Architecture, Software Design | 1 Comment

Agile Architecture Myths #1 Simple Design is Always Better

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Rebecca

Over the next few weeks I plan to blog about some agile software architecture and design beliefs that can cause confusion and dissent on agile teams (and angst for project and program managers). Johanna Rothman and I have jointly drawn … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Software Architecture, Software Design | 11 Comments

Slicing and Dicing Complex Projects…

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Rebecca

In a recent post, Johanna Rothman asked the question, should agile teams Develop by Feature, Develop by Component, or Some Combination? Well, in a nutshell, my answer is, it depends. I have seen teams try different approaches to this problem. … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Software Architecture, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Las Vegas….gambling on agile?

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Rebecca

OK, I want a catchy title… But I also want to tell you about the upcoming Better Software Conference and Agile Development Practices in Las Vegas June 6-11 where I’ll be presenting a one-day tutorial on Writing Effective Agile Use … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Analysis, Events, Usability | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment