SW Design, Architecture & Clarity at Scale • Sam Newman, Jacqui Read & Simon Rohrer • GOTO 2025

This conversation was recorded at GOTO Copenhagen 2025. #GOTOcon #GOTOcph https://gotocph.com Sam Newman - Author of Building Microservices & Monolith to Microservices @samnewman4355 Jacqui Read - Author of Communication Patterns: A Guide for Developers and Architects @JacquiRRead Simon Rohrer - Global Head of Enterprise Tech Architecture and Ways of Thinking @SimonRohrer ORIGINAL TALK TITLE Software Design, Architecture & Giving Clarity at Scale RESOURCES Sam https://twitter.com/samnewman https://www.linkedin.com/in/samnewman http://samnewman.io http://samnewman.io/blog https://github.com/snewman Jacqui https://bsky.app/profile/tekiegirl.bsky.social https://jacquiread.com https://fosstodon.org/@tekiegirl https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelineread https://github.com/tekiegirl Simon https://bsky.app/profile/simon.bvssh.com https://mastodon.social/@simonr https://x.com/sirohrer https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonrohrer https://github.com/sirohrer https://www.soonersaferhappier.com Links https://acedmodel.com ABSTRACT In this session, we will explore the nature of software design - what is it, and where is the intersection with architecture? We’ll also look at the importance of communicating context, design, and architecture across an organization. If you’d like to do some advanced reading, head over to acedmodel.com for more. Both Jacqui and Simon will be sharing their expertise and experiences, but this session is also all about your questions. Come along, and get involved! [...] TIMECODES 00:00 Intro 02:46 What is software design? 04:21 Decision‑Records: Why & how to use them 22:46 Keeping documentation fresh – ADR templates & automation 29:44 Bridging the Dev ↔ Architect gap 32:30 Standardizing vs Over‑standardizing (Platform Engineering) 42:20 Feedback loops & continuous improvement 45:00 Outro Read the full abstract here: https://gotocph.com/2025/sessions/3932 RECOMMENDED BOOKS Jacqui Read • Communication Patterns • https://amzn.to/3E37lvv Sam Newman • Building Resilient Distributed Systems • https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/building-resilient-distributed/9781098163532 Sam Newman • Monolith to Microservices • https://amzn.to/2Nml96E Sam Newman • Building Microservices • https://amzn.to/3dMPbOs Jonathan Smart, Zsolt Berend, Myles Ogilvie & Simon Rohrer • Sooner Safer Happier • https://amzn.to/3Emm9p2 https://bsky.app/profile/gotocon.com https://twitter.com/GOTOcon https://www.linkedin.com/company/goto- https://www.instagram.com/goto_con https://www.facebook.com/GOTOConferences #SoftwareDesign #SoftwareArchitecture #Clarity #ClarityInSoftware #Communication #ADR #PlatformEngineering #SamNewman #JaquiRead #SimonRohrer #TodayInTech #Programming #SoftwareEngineering CHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUS Join this channel to get early access to videos & other perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/join Looking for a unique learning experience? Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket at https://gotopia.tech Sign up for updates and specials at https://gotopia.tech/newsletter SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL - new videos posted almost daily. https://www.youtube.com/user/GotoConferences/?sub_confirmation=1