Guidance & Standards
Currently adding documentation. Please check back often!
Throughout my careers in both engineering and software, I have been primarily focused on their design aspects. Initially, this was a by-product of implementing solutions that always seemed challenged in one way or another. I began to think about what it was that I thought worked well and why that was. Admittedly, this process was haphazard at first - but, over time and with more experience I started to try and consolidate my thoughts on this subject.
What is it that makes a design good and how can you clarify that? One you've identified a good design, how do you pass that on to others and see it implemented correctly and consistently? These aren't easy questions and there aren't always simple answers. The lazy answer is that you know it when you see it. For me, it is all about identifying business value - does it improve your organization, your processes, or provide repeated success? I constantly look around me to look for these. I learn every day.
I use these pages to provide a place to share what I have learned. Some of it is tried and true. Other sections are concepts or approaches that I have personally had success with. Finally, some are merely a way to clarify my thoughts and address a concept or a common problem.
Engineering Principles
In this section, you will find best practices and principles for engineering and technology. This is a distillation of what I have found that actually works in practice. These fundamental principles work for both small and large teams and I have used these repeatedly in organizations that I have been part of.
Services Design
Here are best practices and principles that should be followed when designing and building services. Much of the work done at the enterprise level in technology involves services. It is absolutely key that these be well thought out, performant, and are consistent across development teams.
Security
Regardless of the size of your organization, security is paramount. Here you will find best practices and consistent standards on implementing secure solutions. In addition to design and implementation practices, I also address basic concepts as regards security and explain how they work in practice.
Development & Design Checklists
This section is a placeholder for development and implementation checklists that I find useful. Each of the checklists here are cross-referenced to other documents and articles that cover the item in detail.