strategy session (drupalcamp co)

Solution Architecture: designing a strategy for project success

DrupalCamp Colorado: August 2nd, 2014

Diana Montalion Dupuis

Diana Montalion Dupuis Michael Schmid

CEO Amazee Labs (Austin)

amazeelabs.com @dianadupuis

Follow me on Twitter and I’ll follow you back!

Michael Schmid

http://ih2.redbubble.net/image.12055654.2805/flat,550x550,075,f.jpg

Michael Schmid

http://www.louisalloro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Einstein-Intuition.jpg

Strategy is …

• Intuition

• Wisdom and experience

• Logic and common sense

• Art and poetry

• When applied to application development, an engineering process (constantly reinvented) sometimes called solution architecture

According to Wikipedia

“Solution architecture (within or without enterprise architecture) is a combination of role, process and documentation that is intended to address specific problems and requirements, usually through the design of specific information systems or applications. !The term solution architecture can be used to mean either or both: * Documentation describing the structure and behavior of a solution to a problem, or * A process for describing a solution and the work to deliver it.”

According to Wikipedia

“Solution architects typically produce solution outlines and migration paths that show the evolution of a system from baseline state to target state.”

http://thewellwrittenwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sigh.png

According to me

Solution architecture attempts to define an ecosystem that will organically produce the stated, measurable goals.

the goals, not the solution

http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-it-s-wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey.png

Key elements

• Truth and reality (aka bullshit detector)

• Measurable goals, prioritized

• Overcome hidden obstacles implicitly

• A construct (the architecture itself) in the form of a document

http://www.skepticalob.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/truthiness.jpg

Things to look for …• Ripping the fabric of space time

• Hidden complexity

• Too much or too little control

• No goals or features don’t match goals

• Leadership confusion (can focus on what but not how)

• Truthiness: reality refuses to bow down to power

http://www.greenbookblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/DangerWillRobinson.jpg

What to give back

• Truth

• Insights

• Facts

• Options

What not to give back

• Snark

• False hope

http://www.luxautoleasing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Aston_Martin_DBS_Volante.jpg

Measurable goals• Reduce calls to customer service by 25%

in 3 months

• Increase subscription to the newsletter by 150% in 6 months

• Increase page view time from 3 seconds to 10 seconds on newly published content

• Increase traffic by 30% in 6 months (how does the application do that?)

Hidden obstacles

• They are *always* there

• A good strategy overcomes them

• ALES

ALES

• Ask

• Listen

• Empathize

• Strategize

Hidden examples• The “real” goal is something different

from the stated goal and/or two (or more) stakeholders disagree

• The last six vendors “didn’t work out”

• The “final say” comes from a boss who delegates but doesn’t or a person with no tech experience is “in charge” of the project but isn’t

• There’s a lot of focus on low priority details

Construct

• Overview: business reasons to do the project and clear, measurable goals

• The vision with just enough detail to be flexible (the art part)

• Drupal domains

• Estimation

• Include assumptions

Drupal domains• Core and DevOps

• Design

• Basic, responsive theme

• Data architecture and migration

• Art and architecture: the features and/or however your concept is described

• Testing

• Project management

Examples

• Dual organizations and data

• This site is totaled

• Traditional “by the sections”

• Building the site

• Feature phases, like buying a car

When off track

• Let go of the original plan

• Prioritize against goals

• Create buckets and phases

• Retrospect, include everyone

• Define the now known unknowns and include them

Thank you!

diana.dupuis@amazee.com