Design versus Architecture in software development
First try (from Gemini 2.5 Flash) Software architecture defines the system's fundamental structure , outlining its major components, their high-level relationships, and the overarching principles and quality attributes (like scalability or security) that guide its construction. It's the "what" and "why" of the system's foundational choices, which are costly to change. In contrast, software design focuses on the detailed internal workings of individual components and modules, specifying their logic, data structures, and algorithms to implement the architectural vision effectively. It's the "how" of putting those foundational pieces together, generally with a lower cost of modification. Second try (with my input) Software architecture defines the system's fundamental structure , outlining its major components, their high-level relationships, and the overarching principles and quality attributes (like scalability or security) that ...