Architecture in Global Collaboration

Dec 1

Introduction:

"From my roots as a graphical designer in high school, I’ve carried a deep appreciation for the power of visuals in communication. This skill has been invaluable throughout my career, especially in global companies like MSC, where teams span Italy, the US, India, and Belgium. In such diverse environments, visual tools such as UML and behavioural diagrams have been essential for fostering collaboration and ensuring clarity across teams."

Challenges:

Bridging communication gaps in a global team with varying levels of spoken English.
Creating visual representations that align architects, developers, and functional analysts.
Translating complex technical concepts into diagrams and presentations that teams and stakeholders could understand.
Demonstrating how event-sourced architecture and ambiguous language models (DDD principles) integrate into functional and technical workflows.

Solutions & Contributions:

"I played a key role in visual communication by consistently creating UML and behavioural diagrams to represent system behaviour, event flows, and relationships. These diagrams became a cornerstone of our development and architectural processes, serving as a universal language for our teams. Highlights include:"

Creating detailed behavioural diagrams to explain event-sourced architecture and its relationship with our ambiguous language model.
Designing visual tools that allowed functional analysts and developers to collaborate effectively.
Delivering presentations and technical talks to educate teams on event sourcing principles, bridging the gap between technical and non-technical roles.
Standardizing diagramming practices to improve understanding and consistency across global teams.

"These visual tools not only facilitated collaboration but also played a significant role in aligning teams and stakeholders toward shared goals."

Reflection:

"This project reminded me of the unique power of visuals to unite teams and simplify complex ideas. My background in graphical design has been a constant asset in IT, helping me craft diagrams and presentations that cut through ambiguity and align stakeholders. I take pride in using visual communication as a tool for collaboration and clarity, ensuring that teams across the globe can work seamlessly together."