This tip might sound strange in context with building blocks - but sometimes it’s easy or helpful to explain the fundamental or crosscutting concepts (other terms are principles, styles, stereotypes or patterns) instead of all the building blocks.

For example, if you build a microservice-based system or constructed system as a pipe-and-filter architecture, the explanation of the fundamental principles might be more useful than the elaborate discussion of single building blocks.

But: You should have a Level-1 building block view

Please keep in mind tip 5-3 (level-1 is your friend)

  • You should denote which concepts are applied in certain building blocks, see tip 5-10.
  • You should name important concepts, and use these names in building blocks, see tip 8-11.