Anti-patterns seem to be going a bit out of vogue these days. I like them as a way of capturing our occasional follies. I will periodically record some of them here starting with Architecture by e-mail.

Anti-Pattern Name: Architecture by e-mail

General Form:
Large numbers of e-mails with long chains attached are sent between architects and designers which encompass important architectural decisions.

Symptoms and Consequences:

• People spend a lot of time on e-mail rather than focussing on work products or deliverables.
• Important information communicated via e-mail is lost or ends up being stored on individuals workstations.

Refactored Solution:

• Capture important decisions in the right place (e.g. an Architectural Decisions work product and use this as the vehicle for discussing options.
• Use meetings or conference calls to discuss options and drive out decisions.