Evolutionary Software Quality

Having the right amount of quality in a software system at the right time can make the difference between the happiness and frustration of users, customers, shareholders, and others. However, software architects often struggle to implement the appropriate level of quality in their systems.

In this talk, I introduce a thinking model that guides software architects in aiming for the right level of software quality at each stage of a system’s evolution. By combining the ISO 25010 quality model with Wardley mapping, quality aspects such as usability, performance, and maintainability are systematically assessed based on their value to various stakeholders at each phase of the system's evolution. This approach helps software architects make quality-driven decisions at the right moments, while also revealing weak spots or signs of over-engineering. Architects can thereby manage suitable, appropriate quality throughout a software system's lifecycle and make improvements as needed.