Software Architect's Handbook

Avoiding design decisions can incur technical debt

Critical decisions are made during the design, and for that reason, there is a cost to either delaying a design decision or not making one at all. Delaying or avoiding certain design decisions can incur technical debt.

Technical debt is similar to financial debt. In the context of design, it is the cost and effort for the additional work that will be necessary later due to decisions that are made now, or because decisions have not been made.

In addition to delaying or avoiding decisions, a decision may be made knowing that it will cost some amount of technical debt. As a software architect, you may decide to take an easier route to a solution, incurring technical debt, even though there is ...