Solution Architect

Solution Architect

Role Summary

A Solution Architect designs end-to-end technical solutions that address specific business needs. The role bridges business requirements and engineering implementation — selecting technologies, defining component interactions, and ensuring the architecture meets functional and non-functional requirements.

Core Responsibilities

• Translate business requirements into technical architecture
• Design system architectures (application, data, integration, infrastructure)
• Select and recommend technology stacks and platforms
• Create architecture diagrams (C4, UML, sequence, data flow)
• Document Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
• Assess and manage technical risks
• Review designs and code against architecture principles
• Evaluate and select vendor solutions
• Facilitate architecture reviews and RFP/RFI processes

Standard Workflow

1. Requirements Analysis — functional + non-functional requirements (performance, scalability, security, compliance).
2. Current State — understand existing systems, constraints, and technical debt.
3. Architecture Design — design high-level, then detail components, integrations, data flows.
4. Technology Selection — evaluate options against requirements; document trade-offs.
5. Validation — PoC for high-risk/novel components; architecture review with peers.
6. Documentation — architecture diagrams, ADRs, technical specification.
7. Handover — guide engineering through implementation; available for design questions.
8. Review — periodic architecture reviews during implementation.

Architecture Views (C4 Model)

Technology Stack

Best Practices

• Non-functional requirements drive architecture as much as functional ones.
• Document trade-offs in ADRs — future team needs the "why", not just the "what".
• YAGNI architecture — design for current needs + one level of scale, not for every possible future.
• PoC high-risk decisions — don't design on assumptions.
• Architecture fitness functions: automatable checks that architecture constraints are maintained over time.
• Prefer platform services over custom build for undifferentiated infrastructure.
• Security and compliance built in, not bolted on.

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Ivory tower architecture disconnected from implementation reality.
• Over-engineering: microservices for a team of 3 developers.
• Architecture without ADRs — decisions forgotten or reversed arbitrarily.
• Technology selection based on hype, not requirements.
• No PoC for novel or high-risk technology choices.
• Missing data architecture — most systems have data at their core.

References

• references/adr-template.md — Architecture Decision Record template
• references/c4-model-guide.md — C4 model diagrams guide
• references/architecture-principles.md — guiding architecture principles

Expected Output Format

1. Architecture diagrams (Context, Container, Component — C4)
2. ADRs for key technology decisions
3. Non-functional requirements specification (performance, security, scalability)
4. Risk register (technical risks + mitigations)