PRINCIPLES

Find the principle behind every delivery decision

A searchable operating library for engineering, design, data and product teams — organised by discipline so the right guidance is never buried.

51 principles

Filter by discipline, search by statement, then open the principle content in the CMS when you need the full context.

API · Platform · QA · UI · Data · Architecture · Team

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Principles, patterns and defaults

Use discipline filters to narrow the operating model, or search by keyword when you already know what you need.

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API

Platform

QA

UI

Data

Architecture

Team

Icebox

Graceful Degradation & Resilient Error Handling

UI

Separate Core Logic from Framework Code

UI

Type Safety as Leverage

UI

Ship Small, Iterate Fast

UI

Predictable, Explicit Behaviour

UI

Embrace the Platform

UI

Get stuff done

Team

Deliver value iteratively whilst innovating

Team

Changes are “live” when enabled and outcomes are confirmed

Team

Prioritise prevention and early detection over reactive fixes

Team

Use AI to improve delivery speed and quality, with human accountability

Team

Make Observability a Built In Capability

Platform

Provide Capability Led, Opinionated Defaults with Conscious Deviation

Platform

Actively Enable Fast, Predictable Flow

Platform

Architecture is a Collaborative Responsibility

Architecture

Design for Change, Not Certainty

Architecture

Decisions Are Intentional and Recorded

Architecture

Non-Functional Requirements Are First Class

Architecture

Architecture is Accountable Throughout the Whole SDLC

Architecture

Business Driven Architecture

Architecture

Design for autonomous consumers

API

Efficient by design, not by accident

API

Secure by Construction

API

Change without breaking

API

Observable by default

API

Validate at the Boundary

API

Abstract the architecture

API

One Definition, Zero Drift

API

APIs are the product

API

Data you can trust

Data

Data ownership accountability

Data

Provable data quality

Data

Data lifecycle management.

Data

Right tool for the data job

Data

Performance at realistic load

Data

Bounded contexts own their data

Data

Model the domain, not the database

Data

Minimum access, minimum data

Data

Component Simplicity & Unobtrusive Design

UI

Avoid Hasty Abstractions

Team

Clarity Over Cleverness

Team

Developer Experience Matters

Team

Accessibility is Non-Negotiable

UI

Performance Is a Feature

UI

Focus on Value

QA

Pro-active Quality = Shift Left and Right

QA

No Duplication

QA

Whole-Team Testing

QA

Enable Self Service and Independent Use

Platform