Software Architecture might or might not be relevant for your projects. Mentioning it to hackers and makers can easily lead to a lively discussion about byzantine corporate regulations, awkwardly convoluted design requirements and harebrained projects devoid of any creativity or fun. But love it or loathe it, it's just there.

So how we gonna fix this? An engineering science should be a creative tool for hacking and improving things. What went wrong when it isn’t? And how can we start to set things right?

This talk offers a basic introduction to the field of software architecture, starting with the question of when it can be useful for the typical endeavors of hackers and makers. Let’s talk about what software architecture should be about, how it can help you in the creative use of technology or in understanding existing IT systems and projects, and what implications it has up its sleeve for your own projects. Spoiler: Only part of it is about technology decisions and patterns.

Full disclosure of interests: The speaker generates income as a trainer for software architecture and is a member of the International Software Architecture Qualification Board (iSAQB).