The Psychology of Architecture Decision Records

Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) have been characterized as a lean documentation technique, but this overlooks their cultural impact: writing ADRs can also help developers evolve into architectural thinkers. ADRs accomplish this by subtly influencing developers to change four key behaviors: impr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE software 2022-11, Vol.39 (6), p.114-117
Main Authors: Keeling, Michael, Fairbanks, George
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Decision making
Psychology
Software architecture
Software engineering
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Summary:Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) have been characterized as a lean documentation technique, but this overlooks their cultural impact: writing ADRs can also help developers evolve into architectural thinkers. ADRs accomplish this by subtly influencing developers to change four key behaviors: improved appreciation of design’s value, increased design participation, better follow through on decisions, and stronger design engagement. These four complementary behaviors nudge developers to see themselves as software architects, which in turn transforms the team’s culture.
ISSN:0740-7459
1937-4194
DOI:10.1109/MS.2022.3198195