GOTO - The Brightest Minds in Tech

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

34 snips
Feb 27, 2026
Guest
Simon Rohrer
Guest
Jacqui Read
Simon Rohrer, enterprise tech leader focused on architecture at scale. Jacqui Read, author and communication expert in software design. They discuss what software design really means, the role of architecture decision records and conversations, how to socialize and document designs, when to standardize, and ways to keep design aligned with evolving code and teams.
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ADVICE

Prioritize Developer Habitability

  • Design with developer habitability in mind; architects create the environment developers will live in.
  • Simon Rohrer explains habitability borrowed from built environment: poor choices impose long-term pain on teams.
ADVICE

Put Decisions Where People Already Look

  • Store ADRs where the people who need them already look (repos for code-level, Notion/SharePoint for higher-level).
  • Jacqui Read advises placing decisions in the tools teams already use and surfacing them in onboarding.
ADVICE

Lead ADRs With The Decision Summary

  • Make ADRs scannable: put the decision or headline first, details after, and include short and long templates.
  • Jacqui Read and Simon Rohrer recommend a newspaper-style top line so readers get answers at a glance.
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