Comments on: Conway’s Law - Software/Systems Reflect The Organizational Structure That Created It http://experiencecurve.com/archives/conways-law-softwaresystems-reflect-the-organizational-structure-that-created-it Social Media and New Marketing Strategy Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:10:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Conway’s Law and Ray Ozzie | BPWrap http://experiencecurve.com/archives/conways-law-softwaresystems-reflect-the-organizational-structure-that-created-it#comment-747 Conway’s Law and Ray Ozzie | BPWrap Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:10:38 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=413#comment-747 [...] Then UIE BrainSparks, one of my regular reads, had an item on Conway’s Law. This discussed a longer post by Karl Long, which covers more on Conway’s Law. Conway’s Law was devised in 1968 by Melvin Conway. It reads as follows: * Organizations which design systems are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations. * If you have four groups working on a compiler, you’ll get a 4-pass compiler. Or more concisely: * Any piece of software reflects the organizational structure that produced it. [...] [...] Then UIE BrainSparks, one of my regular reads, had an item on Conway’s Law. This discussed a longer post by Karl Long, which covers more on Conway’s Law. Conway’s Law was devised in 1968 by Melvin Conway. It reads as follows: * Organizations which design systems are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations. * If you have four groups working on a compiler, you’ll get a 4-pass compiler. Or more concisely: * Any piece of software reflects the organizational structure that produced it. [...]

]]> By: UIE Brain Sparks » Blog Archive » Conway’s Law http://experiencecurve.com/archives/conways-law-softwaresystems-reflect-the-organizational-structure-that-created-it#comment-746 UIE Brain Sparks » Blog Archive » Conway’s Law Thu, 05 Apr 2007 19:56:36 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=413#comment-746 [...] Karl Long recently posted a short article where he discusses the effect of organizational culture on experience design through Conway’s Law. Essentially the law states that systems (especially software) will reflect the organizational structure that created them. Going beyond the obvious aspect of organization of features, information architecture etc. it goes on to state that the software/system will reflect the disfunction of the organization that created it. [...] [...] Karl Long recently posted a short article where he discusses the effect of organizational culture on experience design through Conway’s Law. Essentially the law states that systems (especially software) will reflect the organizational structure that created them. Going beyond the obvious aspect of organization of features, information architecture etc. it goes on to state that the software/system will reflect the disfunction of the organization that created it. [...]

]]> By: Jared M. Spool http://experiencecurve.com/archives/conways-law-softwaresystems-reflect-the-organizational-structure-that-created-it#comment-745 Jared M. Spool Sun, 25 Mar 2007 17:52:02 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=413#comment-745 I'd forgotten about Conway's law, but I think it's right on. Our research into experience design teams shows that the culture of the design organization is very important to the outcome of the experience. Organizations with a culture that thinks holistically are very likely to produce holistic experiences. Organizations that segment and silo will produce experiences that feel detached and conflicting. Good find! Jared I’d forgotten about Conway’s law, but I think it’s right on.

Our research into experience design teams shows that the culture of the design organization is very important to the outcome of the experience. Organizations with a culture that thinks holistically are very likely to produce holistic experiences. Organizations that segment and silo will produce experiences that feel detached and conflicting.

Good find!

Jared

]]> By: karl long http://experiencecurve.com/archives/conways-law-softwaresystems-reflect-the-organizational-structure-that-created-it#comment-743 karl long Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:08:49 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=413#comment-743 Actually I heard about it from some folks at Ideo Actually I heard about it from some folks at Ideo

]]> By: Tommi Vilkamo http://experiencecurve.com/archives/conways-law-softwaresystems-reflect-the-organizational-structure-that-created-it#comment-744 Tommi Vilkamo Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:23:06 +0000 http://experiencecurve.com/?p=413#comment-744 > Just heard about Conway’s Law Just curious, whom did you hear it from? I heard about Conway's Law a couple of months ago, and found it, too, incredibly relevant for our company and for the whole industry (or set of industries) we are working in. Since then, I have been talking about it to everyone, and I have noticed that this "ideavirus" has now been resurrected and is now spreading fast :) > Just heard about Conway’s Law

Just curious, whom did you hear it from?

I heard about Conway’s Law a couple of months ago, and found it, too, incredibly relevant for our company and for the whole industry (or set of industries) we are working in. Since then, I have been talking about it to everyone, and I have noticed that this “ideavirus” has now been resurrected and is now spreading fast :)

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