Most languages are written left to right and we begin seeing any picture from the left side.Gravity causes things to fall downwards.Here are some skills that we likely learn with experience: Details within the mass of the animal or object are observed last.Shapes are recognised as familiar or new to classify or look closer.Contrast is detected for differentiation after colours.Colours are noticed after size as it can help to identify foe or food by standing out from the background.Location is mapped quickly as something near or directly in front can be more hazardous or easy to grasp.Size is absorbed rapidly as a larger animal or object can be more dangerous or useful.Motion is acutely detected as it can indicate a dangerous animal or water.Here is how the eye-brain combination probably processes information, in order of informational utility and ease: Understanding this makes it easier for us to create impactful drawings. The former is genetic and innate, the latter learned in life. There are two categories of capabilities - natural and nurtured. Human eyes and the parts of our brains that process visual data have evolved to convert data into information that maximises safety and the ability to use objects in the world. We read drawings through the eye-brain combination. This article will focus on the conventions for functional architecture diagrams. Level 1, 2 and 3 diagrams can be drawn either to show the functional or the operational (hardware, software) information. They can be reviewed by architects but are not core deliverables for them. Level 3 - Design Diagram: The key audience is coders, testers and architects.ĭiagrams with more details than the above are left to the Application Designers.Level 2 - Architecture Diagram: The key audience is Designers and Project Managers.Level 1 - Technology Capabilities Diagram: The key audience is CIOs, CTOs, CISOs and Strategy & Planning managers.Level 0 - Business Capabilities Diagram: The key audience is business executives and non-technical stakeholders.We describe the following levels and diagram names:
We can call the former the level of the drawing and define conventions for using the latter. There are two dimensions to static diagrams: the combination of audience and detail and the artefacts used in them. Things of the world other than computers and softwareĪn architecture diagram can very quickly get very complicated.The extent of the impact on a functional unit or relationship due to an enhancement.Some of the information that static diagrams try to convey are: Information conveyedĪ picture can speak a thousand words. The Conventions for diagramming will be explained below in ten sections. Plus, static diagrams typically attempt to convey a lot more information than Sequence Diagrams and therefore have a greater need for conventions. I will only deal with static diagrams here as they are usually where the architect begins modelling.
#Application architectural diagrams software
The UML (Unified Modelling Language) standard is available for software application architecture modelling and many architects use it, but in my view, it is non-intuitive, confusing, dry, and limited.įor the dynamic aspect of the architecture, I find Sequence Diagrams to be adequate, as long as they use the same objects that are in the static model. There exist ISO, DIN, ANSI and other standards for process flow diagrams, IEEE for electrical diagrams, etc. In this article, I will put down conventions to produce clear, compelling and consistent architecture diagrams. The quality should not vary drastically by who is drawing the picture. While this is natural, if it is not done well, it has wide and long-lasting downsides for the entire solution, the people and organisations involved. Most architects prefer just to draw some closed shapes and connect them with arrows to express their structures. Diagramming well is a critical ability for an architect. Naturally, they are the heart of architectural thinking and modelling. As the latter, architecture deals with the static and dynamic structure of an overall system through models constructed of defined components, their external features and relationships.ĭrawings are one of the oldest and most straightforward ways we represent things, real or imaginary. It is also a device that assists in thinking and communication.
#Application architectural diagrams free
Practical and consistent conventions from my experience Free image from Wikimedia CommonsĪrchitecture is a discipline.
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