This document summarizes discussion points from two fishbowl sessions: 1) Ensuring innovative solutions are sustainable and fit within existing systems, specifically discussing if the traditional role of architecture is valid in modern software development. Key questions addressed how architects should guide rather than block processes and how to connect architectural work across teams. 2) The need to deliver exceptional customer experiences through software, specifically discussing integrating customer research and usability testing into incremental delivery. Challenges discussed how much research is needed, changing mindsets to see user experience as a key skill, and ensuring solutions address real customer problems rather than just ease of use.

1. Fishbowl Artefacts
6 April 2016

3. Discussion points for the
fishbowl sessions
• Ensuring that innovative solutions are
sustainable and can fit with existing systems
and processes:
o Is the traditional role of architecture valid in
modern software development?
• The need to deliver change that must bring
about an exceptional experience for customers
and users:
o Integrating customer research and usability
testing into incrementalsoftware delivery

4. Is the traditional role of architecture valid in
modern software development?
Test the business
perspective of architects
How should we measure
architectural success?
Architects to support and guide
the process, not just “block” it
Additional challenges
when not all architects
work together
Architects must align
business and IT
How do we
connect the dots
at the end with the
team?
Compared to a blueprint of
a house – upfront issues
versus not being able to do
renovations
Architects
should play
a strategic
role
Architects should be the
advisors of non-functional
requirements and designs
Guiding
rather than
pushing
Could the product owner
be the new enterprise
architect?
What is an
appropriate level
of control?
Need to getmore frequent input
from architects – should be
closer and part of the delivery
teams
Multiple teams
being led by a
“chief architect”
T / Pi shaped
people

5. Is the traditional role of architecture valid in
modern software development?
Ownership needs to be
correctly allocated
Architectural skill can
come from team, could
be multiple people who
fulfil this
Control over-
emphasised, what is
correctlevel of touch?
It’s a function not a
role, not about
person in role –
about having right
architectural skills
Rate of change is
important
Different labels for architects
make it confusing
Architects need
“skin in the game”
Instead of focusing on different labels for
different architects, focus on ultimate role
to ensure good alignment and direction
Organisations
need to change
and structure for
the change
Need to be fast and nimble,
architecture part of this
Agile methodology needed –
challenge is how architects fit
into that
Need to growinto
business architecture role

6. Integrating customer research and usability testing
into incremental software delivery
Limited UX skills available in
South Africa
Adhere to UX principles
versus standardised
templates
Drive outside-in
thinking for
customer
centricity
Need to be doing anything
greater than zero
UX doesn’t have to be specialist, can
be covered by delivery team
Incorporate into “traditional” as-is
analysis
Change
organisational
mind-set to not
see UX as part of
something being
done, it’s a skill in
itself
Need to ensure interviews
are broader than system
being built
Are dedicated
teams needed?
Multiple
areas in UX
requiring skill
Decide what is
enough
upfront
Interviews aren’t just “do you want this or this”,
need to be addressing a need
UX not just external use, as
important for internal user
Ideally every person in
company can input in UX
Difficult to get
feedback from
external
customers –
should be easy
and build model
into business
processes and
front end
So much value to deliver
to customer if just want
to listen to them

7. Integrating customer research and usability testing
into incremental software delivery
How much is
enough research?
Customers can be wrong
Staff need to
utilise UX skills and
fully immerse
themselves
Should be solving real customer problems,
not just enabling ease of use
Don’t want analysis paralysis, but
if not enough researchrun risk of
being wrong
Don’t need process that is perfect, can reiterate
and learnas you go along
Combining new and traditional
methods
Can’t go to market
with wrong information, but can with
some idea of what is important
UX and CX for product design
or systems design
In today’s fast moving customer-demand
driven world, BA and UX must converge
Can’t ignore customer
in analytics process,
BAs must use BA
methodology as part of
toolkit

9. Is the traditional role of architecture valid in
modern software development?

10. Integrating customer research and usability
testing into incremental software delivery

11. Thank you for joining us!
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