Talks

February 5, 2025

Software designing your models and architecture to fit with the culture

WeaveIT

Software stakeholders and users approach technology through the lens of their cultural norms and worldviews. As software designers, we often introduce new concepts and terminology to better address those needs. This can mean adapting or even reshaping their cultural perspectives. But culture, by nature, seeks consistency and conformity, providing a framework to our daily chaos. This consistency can make language and models rigid, often leading to ambiguity. So, how can we navigate and reshape these ingrained cultural perspectives and behaviours during software design?

Join our interactive workshop that explores the dynamic relationship between organizational culture and software design. This session offers a balanced mix of theoretical insights into how cultures function and impact our professional lives, coupled with practical exercises to help implement these concepts. We will delve into the critical role of culture in shaping software design, with a special focus on ‘symbols’ as a core cultural element. Participants will engage with a domain model that illustrates how language, as a cultural symbol, significantly influences both domain-specific and software contexts. Through hands-on exercises, we’ll examine techniques to grasp the cultural significance of these symbols, equipping participants to either adapt effectively or employ strategies and heuristics to transform them. This includes practices such as experimenting with alternative narratives, using storytelling to understand and convey culture, and leveraging humor as a cultural lens. The workshop will conclude with a series of case studies presented through interactive discussions, showcasing the application of various techniques and heuristics in collaborative software design. These studies will highlight both successes and challenges in navigating and reshaping cultural symbols and behaviors.

renditions

  • OOP Konferenze 2025 / 3 Februari 2025 / Slides

Kenny Baas-Schwegler

As a socio-technical systems thinker, agile architect, and Domain-Driven Design expert, I work with CTOs, managers, architects, and teams to change how we design software. Through facilitating and doing collaborative modeling, I catalyze organizations, teams, and groups of people to an agile architecture approach to building sustainable quality software products.

See all my slides at

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