Why Software Architecture is Mostly Communication
Architecture isn't about drawing perfect diagrams - it's about coaching teams to make better decisions when you're not in the room. As Ian Cooper, Hannes Lowette, and David Whitney put it, the best architects create culture, not constraints.
About the experts
A polyglot coding architect at Just Eat
Director of Architecture
Head of learning & development at Axxes and a passionate .NET developer
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Three experienced software architects - Ian Cooper, David Whitney and Hannes Lowette, - discuss the evolution of software architecture from traditional "ivory tower" approaches to modern, collaborative practices. The conversation explores the tension between emergent and designed architecture, the importance of sustainable versus "slash-and-burn" development approaches, and how architectural decisions scale with organizational growth. Key themes include the critical role of communication and coaching in architecture, the dangers of pattern cargo-culting, and the fundamental reality that all architectural challenges are ultimately people problems requiring empathy, shared language, and cultural change.