Continuous Architecture

Continuous Architecture treats architecture as something you keep doing, not a phase you finish before coding starts. This is a short orientation for engineers and architects who recognise the waterfall pattern — design up front, implement later, validate a document instead of the system — and want a different operating model.

The idea is to replace that big-design-up-front approach with continuous evolution: architectural decisions made from data, validated by running code through modern DevOps CI/CD, and shaped by lean canvas thinking. You prove the architecture by building it, and you keep proving it as the product changes.

Manifesto

The full manifesto details can be found at Continuous Architecture Org

1. We architect long term products, not just projects solutions.
2. We architect our products with a holistic view.
3. We prove (validate) the architecture by implementing it, not by validating document.
4. Architects shared the responsibility of the end-product; including its operability.
5. Architecture is a team activity and shared understanding, not a document that is passed down from a team to another.
6. Delay decisions until they are absolutely necessary.
7. Risk-driven prioritization: do customer-centric features with major architectural impact first.

References

Continuous Architecture manifesto. (n.d.). Continuous Architecture Org. Retrieved February 27, 2022