Evolutionary Architecture: Because Change is the Only Guarantee

One of the big risks of empowering teams is that you lose the centralised control over the system architecture. Empowered teams require the ability to go from idea to satisfied customers without relying on external approvals like architecture reviews. So how do companies prevent their systems degrading into a big ball of mud?

Instead of trying to lock down control, architects need to share the core goals of the architecture, the rationale behind these decisions and then put in place the necessary tools and practices that enable high-quality, iterative delivery.

Rebecca Parsons talked at UXDX back in 2020 on exactly this topic. Her book, Building Evolutionary Architectures, outlines how organisations can empower teams while still ensuring high-quality and maintainable systems. I give a high-level overview of her book in my article below.

This Week’s Updates

Enabling the Team

The Power Of Mattering At Work by Zach Mercurio
Feeling that your work and presence matter strengthens motivation, resilience, and well-being. When leaders foster a culture of recognition and inclusion, performance and retention both improve.

Is All Micromanagement Bad? Here's How The Best Founders And Operators Balance Details And Delegation by First Round Review
Micromanagement isn't always bad… When done with intention, it can build clarity, confidence, and better outcomes. The key is knowing when to lean in, how to support without smothering, and how to scale involvement over time.

Product Direction

Treat Your Company As A Product by Felipe Castro
Thinking of your company as a product shifts focus from reactive problem-solving to intentional design. Applying product principles (like customer insight, iteration, and clear positioning) can drive stronger culture and performance.

Demystifying Platform Product Management by Ibrahim Bashir
Platform product management focuses on enabling internal teams through reusable capabilities, not just building backend tools. Success depends on understanding customers, aligning incentives, and thinking in systems.

Continuous Research

Researcher Effort Score: 6 Ways To Measure Research Impact by Pedro Vargas
Measuring the effort required to run research helps teams spot operational friction and scale their impact. The Researcher Effort Score introduces a way to track and reduce hidden inefficiencies in research workflows. [Sponsored Content]

How AI Is Changing User Research Jobs by Thomas Stokes
AI is reshaping user research by speeding up analysis, uncovering patterns, and lowering the cost of insights. But its true value comes from enhancing (not replacing) the judgment, context, and empathy that human researchers bring.

Continuous Design

Use Of AI In UX: Insights From Recent Research by Dr Maria Panagiotidi
The application of AI in UX design enhances user experiences through personalized interfaces, predictive analytics, and adaptive design elements.

How To Validate Ideas Faster With No-code Prototypes by Karim Qazi
No-code prototypes can speed up idea validation, enabling rapid testing and iteration with minimal resources, enhancing design processes and decision-making.

Continuous Development

Evolutionary Architecture: Because Change Is The Only Guarantee by Rory Madden
Building Evolutionary Architectures challenges traditional notions by embracing change and uncertainty as constants. It provides actionable frameworks to help architects, developers, and organisations build systems that are future-proof.

Task Forces Can Solve (some Of) Your Cross-functional Challenges by Jade Rubick
Task forces give engineers ownership of high-impact problems without adding long-term org complexity. This structure helps teams move faster, stay focused, and align engineering work more closely with business outcomes.

Where Design, Code, And Data Shape Strategy!

Reconnect, learn, and grow with industry leaders

We’re excited to kick off the first in-person UXDX USA community event at the iconic Empire State Building on July 23, 2025! This is the perfect opportunity to reconnect after the big conference and dive into discussions on bridging the gap between Product, UX, Design, and Development.

Join top speakers like Chris Wiggins from The New York Times, Wesley Martin from Priceline, and Ashton Coghlan from Verizon, as they share their expertise on hybrid roles, data-driven decisions, and more. Don’t miss out, register now and be part of this exciting event! Click here to book your free ticket.

FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS 

Check out more upcoming community events 

Video of the Week
How To Merge Startup Agility With Corporate Stability
Within Your Product Team

Harry Parkes, VP of Product at OVO, shared strategies for maintaining the agility of a startup while adapting to the structural stability required for large-scale operations. Harry will walk you through how to foster growth without compromising on process improvement, all while staying aligned with the company’s overarching mission.

Discover how product teams can successfully transition between these two worlds; balancing the nimbleness of a startup with the discipline of a corporate structure, and hear about the challenges and advantages of this unique approach.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to keep your team agile while scaling efficiently!

The Results of Last Week’s Poll

The question: How does your team approach funding and planning for work?

Last week’s poll results highlight how teams approach funding and planning for their work. A majority of 43% estimate and fund specific projects, which suggests that project-based planning is the dominant approach in many organizations.

Interestingly, 34% of teams use a mix of project-based funding and ongoing product development, indicating some flexibility in how resources are allocated. On the other hand, 23% of teams don’t have a formal estimation or funding process in place, which may hinder planning and accountability.

These results show that while formal planning and funding are common, there's room for improvement in establishing more structured processes or finding a balance between project-based and continuous product funding. If you're looking to streamline your team's funding and planning processes, check out strategies to improve your approach in our Continuous Development course!

Seen an interesting article online? Share it with us and we might feature it in our next issue!
Click here to share an article