Solutions Architechts in 2023

It’s been a while since I’ve posted my thoughts.
I usually have the best clarity thinking in retrospect based on my life experiences, so Let’s jump right in!

Solutions Architecture has evolved over the years, and more companies want their Developers to think and act like Solutions Architects. The rise in popularity of DevOps, CI/CD, and the Full Stack developer has in part driven this sentiment.

Currently, I believe a Solutions Architect is someone who takes a goal and builds one or many viable prototypes for achieving that goal.

It’s very important to be able to produce prototypes quickly, without extra bells and whistles. Stand alone or in your existing apps.

It all starts with a Mission statement from a Product Owner, or decision maker:

Mission Statement “Create a Chat interface that leveraged AI or ML to produce suggested Emoji’s based on what was being typed in the chat message, and allow that person to tap and insert the Emoji in the text message”

Here’s the working prototype on GitHub

With an MVP mind set (Minimal Viable Product), I produced a working prototype that demonstrated it. No diagrams, no documentation, just a simple App to demo.

Now fast forward the conversation, the Product Owner says, I really like that, let’s do it!

Now the work really begins….

At this point further analysis/coding/research would need to happen depending on your needs:

• How will this fit into the existing app (optional)

• Does this functionality require back end services? Do those perform well under load?

• Will this Perform well in Production, under load (sub second responses)?

• Does this need a layer of security?

• Does this conform with ADA (hearing/vision)?

Ultimately a Solutions Architect is a hands on developer (unless your organization is steeped in $$ and roles)

By contrast, in the spirit larger organizations, this article by a Microsoft CTO Architect (Michel Luescher) from 2022 is worth a a look: What Kind of Architecht are you

If operating in a smaller setting or team, Solutions Architechts are developers. Developers should think and behave like a Solutions Architects.

Either way, a title is just that, a title…As a Developer on any level, you would bring more value to an organization/company if thinking and acting out of the box, period.

Note about the sample app:

With Apple’s Natural Language API, I was able to provide the necessary functionality with very little code.

Swift language, SwiftUI, and Apple hardware / software advancments have been a joy to work with…

Happy Coding!