The Software Architect Elevator

Chapter 15. A4 Paper Doesn’t Stifle Creativity

A Solid Platform Gives Developers a Blank Sheet of Paper

Creativity knows no boundaries

Today’s IT departments must meet two major but seemingly conflicting goals. First, the business environment puts pressure on IT spend, whereas digital disruptors require IT to increase the rate of change and innovation. One of IT’s major cost levers is harmonization of the IT landscape: reducing the number of different applications and technologies in use provides better economies of scale, better negotiating power with vendors, and fewer skills requirements, which can be a major factor in times of skill scarcity.

At first sight, such an effort does seem at odds with innovation, though; how can a company be innovative if too many parameters are fixed? Doesn’t innovation require freedom to experiment and questioning established norms and standards? Interestingly, some harmonization not only doesn’t get in the way of innovation but actually boosts it.

Following a recurring theme from this book, we can once again get a hint from the real world: paper.

A4 Paper

One of the most well-known standards—at least outside the US—is the standard for paper sizes. The most common size of paper used around the world for printing or writing is A4 size paper. A4 paper sets a precise standard of 210 mm wide × 297 mm long for a sheet of paper. At first glance, setting ...