Chapter 3
Devise a Design Strategy

Designing software architecture always feels a bit chaotic. Despite the swirl of uncertainty surrounding every software system, it’s important to have a plan. With a solid design strategy, we can feel our way through the mists of uncertainty.

Design thinking is perfect for finding solutions to complex problems. Instead of trying to solve the problem perfectly on the first try, design thinking emphasizes learning and experimentation. Testing an architecture might be impossible without implementing it, but it may be possible to verify pieces of the architecture incrementally as we design them. We can use design mindsets and the think-do-check cycle to decide where to focus our attention next.

In Chapter 2, ​Design Thinking Fundamentals​ you learned the basic rules of design thinking and how to use design mindsets. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to choose design mindsets as part of a broader design strategy by thinking about the risks in the software system.