Principles of Agile Architecture?

• A. Emergent design, intentional architecture, architectural runway
• B. Upfront design, centralized decision making, heavy documentation
• C. Waterfall phases, gates, and large upfront requirements
• D. Microservices only, no monoliths

Answer: (A)

In Agile architecture, the design evolves as the system learns, while still keeping some deliberate structure to guide work. The best combination here captures that balance: emergent design, intentional architecture, and the architectural runway.

Emergent design means the system is allowed to improve and refine itself as features are implemented. This reduces upfront risk and keeps the architecture flexible, so teams can respond to new insights without being locked into a fixed plan from the start.

Intentional architecture complements that by deliberately addressing the most critical architectural concerns when they matter. It ensures essential decisions are made and documented enough to prevent costly rework later, rather than leaving all design to chance.

Architectural runway is the prepared, extensible set of architectural assets that supports upcoming features. It keeps work flowing smoothly by providing the necessary technical capabilities in place so new capabilities can be added with minimal disruption.

Together, these concepts embody Agile Architecture: design that grows with learning, guided by purposeful decisions, and sustained by a ready-to-use foundation for future work.

The other options describe approaches that clash with Agile thinking. Upfront design, centralized decision making, and heavy documentation slow teams and stifle adaptability. Waterfall-style phases, gates, and large upfront requirements emphasize sequential planning over continuous delivery. Claiming “microservices only, no monoliths” is too rigid and misses the flexible, context-driven nature of SAFe architecture, which may include different structural choices as appropriate.