Architects Play Golf

Often arrogant architects are difficult to get a hold of during the implementation phase because they no longer feel the need to stick around. Especially around midnight when most of the poor sob developers are still banging away. After all, they've already solved the problem--the rest is just an implementation exercise. My favorite name for this AntiPattern is ArchitectsPlayGolf. Arrogant chief architects are even harder to get a hold of, so I say, ChiefArchitectsPlayGolfInFrance. -- SunirShah

This problem is of course extremely apparent in projects where the architecturing/design and actual coding are outsourced to different companies in sequence. Company policy dictates that designs are slavishly followed. After all, the architects/designers are the more experienced people (in such companies coders promote to status of designer and later architect over time) and thus know better than the coders what is good. The design team no longer exists and can't be called back to explain or change their design when needed.

For CustomersPlayGolf, see OnsiteCustomer.

If Architects/Managers have access to a central ProjectWiki from a Wireless HandHeld and/or laptop/desktop from other sites (and are motivated in the project to track with it), that can help keep them in the loop even if not physically there, and prevent problems from building to a critical point when their input is needed and they are not available. Even if the architect wanted to focus on one project till completion upper management may assign he/she to design project 2,3,4 while project 1 is being built, tools can help multitask projects