How do you assess new technologies for software design?

1 Define your goals and criteria

Before you dive into the details of a new technology, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your software design. What are the main problems or challenges that you are trying to solve? What are the functional and non-functional requirements that you need to meet? What are the constraints and trade-offs that you need to consider? Based on these goals and criteria, you can define a set of questions and metrics to assess the suitability and feasibility of a new technology for your design.

3 Experiment with the technology and get feedback

After you have done some research, you need to experiment with the technology and get some feedback. You can use different methods, such as prototyping, testing, benchmarking, or reviewing, to try out the technology and see how it works in practice. You can also seek feedback from other developers, users, customers, or stakeholders, who can provide you with different perspectives and insights on the technology and its impact on your design. You can use various tools, such as surveys, interviews, reviews, or analytics, to collect and analyze the feedback.

4 Evaluate the technology and make a decision

Finally, you need to evaluate the technology and make a decision. You need to weigh the pros and cons of the technology and its alternatives, based on your goals and criteria, your research, your experiments, and your feedback. You need to consider the technical, functional, economic, social, ethical, and environmental aspects of the technology and its implications for your design. You need to be objective, critical, and flexible, and avoid biases, hype, or fads. You also need to document your decision and justify your reasoning.

5 Adapt your design and keep learning

If you decide to adopt a new technology for your software design, you need to adapt your design and keep learning. You need to update your design patterns, principles, practices, and tools, to align them with the new technology and its best practices. You also need to monitor the performance, quality, and reliability of the technology and your design, and make adjustments as needed. You also need to keep learning about the new technology and its updates, as well as the emerging trends and challenges in the software design field.

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?