What's the best systems design framework for your project?

1 C4 model

The C4 model is a framework that helps you visualize and communicate the structure and dynamics of a software system at different levels of abstraction. C4 stands for context, containers, components, and code. Each level provides a different perspective and detail of the system, from the high-level context diagram that shows the system boundaries and interactions with external entities, to the low-level code diagram that shows the implementation details of a component. The C4 model is useful for documenting existing systems, designing new systems, and facilitating collaboration and feedback among stakeholders.

2 4+1 view model

The 4+1 view model is a framework that organizes the representation of a software system into five views: logical, development, process, physical, and scenarios. Each view focuses on a different aspect of the system, such as the functionality, organization, concurrency, deployment, and use cases. The views are related by the scenarios, which illustrate how the system behaves in response to various events and actions. The 4+1 view model is useful for capturing the multiple dimensions and perspectives of a system, and for addressing the concerns of different audiences, such as developers, testers, operators, and users.

3 Event-driven architecture

Event-driven architecture is a framework that defines the interactions between the components of a system based on events. Events are messages that represent something that has happened or is requested in the system, such as a user action, a sensor reading, or a timer expiration. Components communicate by producing and consuming events, without knowing or depending on each other. Event-driven architecture is useful for building scalable, distributed, and reactive systems, that can handle high volumes of data, support asynchronous and parallel processing, and adapt to changing conditions and requirements.

4 Domain-driven design

Domain-driven design is a framework that guides the development of a software system based on the domain, which is the problem space and the business logic of the system. Domain-driven design involves modeling the domain using a ubiquitous language, which is a common and consistent vocabulary that captures the concepts and rules of the domain. The domain model is then implemented using patterns and principles, such as entities, value objects, aggregates, services, repositories, and factories. Domain-driven design is useful for building complex and evolving systems, that can express the domain knowledge clearly, reduce the gap between the code and the business, and enable continuous improvement and innovation.

5 Microservices architecture

Microservices architecture is a framework that decomposes a software system into small, independent, and loosely coupled services. Each service is focused on a single responsibility or capability, and communicates with other services through well-defined interfaces and protocols. Microservices architecture is useful for building flexible, resilient, and scalable systems, that can support rapid development and deployment, enable polyglot programming and data storage, and facilitate modularity and testability.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?