Who Needs an Architect?

In this blog, I will discuss the article "Who Needs an Architect?" by Martin Fowler published in IEEE Software in July 2003.

Software architecture, to most, sounds like a very important element when developing a program or a system. I think of it as the column that holds everything in place. Its function is to create a model in which everything can be joined together in a successful way. The decision as of how architecture will be, is often decided early in project, because making a change in the architecture when the project is advanced will cause the developers a lot of headaches.

I must say I thought of software architects as a key person when developing things of large scale or even at any scale, and in most cases they are necessary for most kinds of projects. But Martin Fowler taking a stab at this definition made me rethink of what I thought I knew about software architects in general.

Software architecture and software building revolves around making decisions. Making decisions to early in the project can mean that you can’t make evolutionary changes to what you are building. Making decisions later in the project can mean that the planning failed and you weren’t ready for the foreseeable changes. I agree with the author's way of viewing an architect, which he says can take different shapes and forms. In most projects the functions of an architect will be set by the needs of the project, in which he is a decision maker.

Maybe Martins opinion is to biased by his own experience and should be taken light hearted. But even still, I can’t keep myself from not agreeing 100% with his point of view. I’m still a rookie in the programming world and maybe in a few years I will agree with his perspective, but I guess I prefer to experience things by my own than by taking someone else's opinion and taking it as a fact.