Feature
iDesign
2
CALL FOR ACTION
There is another misconception that project design contradicts Agile-like development processes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Project design, like architecture, is not mutually-exclusive with Agile. We know that you can design a system in a preliminary sprint focused on architecture, even though you don’t know exactly what you are going to build. You can do the same with project design.
Note that both architecture and project design are activities, while Agile is a development process.
I wrote this article so far extolling the virtues of project design, and yet I have said nothing about how to go about doing it. That is deliberate - there is no way I can do project design justice in just one article. But it takes only a few days to learn some basic skills of project design, enough to make a huge difference. The same is true with software architecture - armed with basic understanding of encapsulation and decoupling you can do wonders. On the other hand, the body of knowledge of project design is as wide and deep as that of system architecture. It also takes a commensurable amount of time and experience to do well and fast, just as with system architecture. Consequently I frequently witness a cognitive bias in our industry: most people assume that because they can't do project design or even worse, because they have never seen it done properly, then it can't be done. Let me assert here and now that is nonsense. The same could have been said about distributed systems architecture 20 years ago. There are plenty of well-designed software projects. I have personally spent comparable time over the years with the IDesign customers on their system architecture and the project design supporting it. I have educated and mentored hundreds of architects and project leads on project design as well as my own techniques and breakthroughs. The results speak for themselves, with success story after success story. Don't be fooled by the common cognitive bias. Remember, that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Do invest in learning more and then mastering the crucial act of project design. It will set your career on a different trajectory, restore confidence between managers, developers and customers, improve communication all around, reduce overall tension, and greatly increase your chance of success.
Juval Löwy is the founder of IDesign
and a master software architect
specialising in system and project
design. Juval has mentored hundreds
of architects across the globe, sharing
his insights, techniques, and breakthroughs, in architecture, project
design, development process, and
technology. Juval is Microsoft’s
Regional Director for the Silicon Valley
and had participated in the Microsoft
internal strategic design reviews for
C#, WCF and related technologies.
Juval is a frequent speaker at major
international software development
conferences. Juval published several
bestsellers, and his latest book is the
third edition of Programming WCF
Services (O'Reilly 2010). He has also published numerous articles, regarding almost every aspect of modern software
development and architecture.
Microsoft recognised Juval as a
Software Legend and as one of the world's top experts and industry leaders.
Juval's Project Design Master Class Training in London
24th -28th February with 5 intensive days of training,
£2500 + VAT
Visit www.learningconnexions.com/Juval
[email protected] - 0843 5235765