Architect's Library

A growing library of practical guides for Solution Architects working in UK government — from the fundamentals of the role to patterns, governance, and decision-making.

How this works: The guides below are designed to be read in order, each one building on the last. They cover the foundations of solution architecture in UK government, from understanding the role through to the practical skills you'll use every day. Use the filters to browse by topic.

1

What a Solution Architect Actually Does

The real role, responsibilities, and value of a Solution Architect in UK government.

 2

How Architecture Thinking Differs from Technical Thinking

The mindset shift from solving technical problems to making architecture decisions.

 3

Understanding the Problem Before Designing the Solution

The discipline of problem framing, discovery, and knowing when you're ready to design.

 4

Users, Stakeholders and the Landscape Around Your Design

Mapping the people who shape your architecture and navigating competing demands.

 5

Functional and Non-Functional Requirements

The requirements that actually drive architecture, and how to capture them properly.

 6

How Architecture Decisions Actually Get Made

Principles, frameworks, ADRs, and the messy reality of choosing between options.

 7

Asking Better Discovery Questions

The question types, stakeholder techniques, and methods that surface the real constraints and requirements.

 8

Assessing the Current State

Mapping existing systems, assessing technical debt, and producing documentation that actually changes decisions.

 9

Solution Options and Option Appraisal

Generating genuine options, evaluating them fairly, and presenting them honestly to decision-makers.

 10

Designing the Whole Service, Not Just the System

Service thinking, user journeys, front stage and back stage, operational design, and the full service lifecycle.

 11

Integration Patterns for Government Services

Choosing integration patterns, managing trade-offs, and handling legacy systems and failure modes.

 12

Security, Privacy and Trust by Design

Making security and privacy part of how you design, from threat modelling to zero trust and data classification.