Never upload raw PNGs or JPEGs to your architecture repository.They cannot be searched, versioned, or easily edited.Use text-based tools like , PlantUML , or Structurizr .This keeps your visuals embedded directly inside your markdown files.
When new engineers join a team, reading source code is an incredibly slow way to build a mental model.A curated collection of architecture notes acts as a historical map.It allows new hires to understand the evolution of the system in hours instead of weeks. The Core Blueprint of a Great Architecture Note
An architecture report typically includes detailed information about a building or structure's design, construction, and features. Here are some common notes that might be included in an architecture report: architecture notes
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 1. Title & Metadata (Status, Date, Authors) │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 2. Context & Problem Statement │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 3. Considered Options & Trade-offs │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 4. The Decision (What was chosen and why) │ ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 5. Consequences (The good, the bad, and the technical) │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ 1. Title and Metadata
Create a base page with your initial parti diagram. Use tracing paper (analog) or a new layer (digital) to develop the next iteration. Keep both visible. This layering technique in your preserves the design trajectory and helps you explain your decisions later. Never upload raw PNGs or JPEGs to your
has revolutionized the field.
To inspire you, here are three scenarios demonstrating effective note-taking. Here are some common notes that might be
The discipline requires a "trained imagination" to construct alternative realities.
The value of architecture notes depends entirely on . In the right hands — Kahn, Siza, Tschumi — they are windows into architectural thinking at its most honest. In the wrong hands, they become architectural Instagram: aestheticized fragments signifying depth they do not possess.