Architectural decisions are often influenced by blindspots, biases, and unchecked assumptions, which can lead to significant long-term challenges in system design. In this session, we’ll explore how these cognitive traps affect decision-making, leading to architectural blunders that could have been avoided with a more critical, holistic approach.

You’ll learn how common biases—such as confirmation bias and anchoring—can cloud judgment, and how to counteract them through problem-space thinking and reflective feedback loops. We’ll dive into real-world examples of architectural failures caused by biases or narrow thinking, and discuss strategies for expanding your perspective and applying critical thinking to system design.

Whether you’re an architect, developer, or technical lead, this session will provide you with tools to recognize and mitigate the impact of biases and blindspots, helping you make more informed, thoughtful architectural decisions that stand the test of time.

Target Audience: This session is primarily aimed at Software Architects, as it focuses on the cognitive challenges in architectural decision-making and how to overcome them. Technical Leads are the secondary audience, as they often make critical design choices and can benefit from understanding the pitfalls of biases. Back-end Developers and OpsTech Professionals will also find value in learning how architectural decisions impact system performance, reliability, and scalability, and how to contribute to more thoughtful design processes.