Our Customers

IDesign’s customers range from some of the largest Fortune 100 companies to the smallest startup. This is no surprise since regardless of size of the company or the project; there is no substitute for good architecture and design, as well as honed development skills. IDesign's reach is not only world-wide, it is cross-disciplinary.
Our customers are much diverged: from high finance to manufacturing control, to insurance, fulfillment, software tools, corporate frameworks, on-line retail systems or classic IT in the private sector and government.

Architecture Consulting Testimonials

In just two days, Juval explained about and helped me set up a fully scalable, completely secure architecture for our application. Juval introduced concepts that I would have never been able to learn about by reading your basic .NET application textbooks, and he provided me with knowledge that I would have had to study for months to figure out. Thanks to his consultation, I now have a solid .NET model that I can use to complete my development in record time. His help was invaluable, and I highly recommend him to any other developer, or development team that does not have the expertise to develop such a slick .NET application.

Matt Schwartz
Software Engineer
Vital Link Business Systems
San Francisco, California

At Kinitos we required validation of our .NET architecture and audit of our security mechanisms. IDesign provided us with world-class expertise in .NET and .NET based security issues, and were not only great consultants, but also great mentors as well. IDesign helped us design world-class security architecture in a matter of days and left us with the expertise to continue on our own afterwards.

Steven Woods
CEO
Kinitos
Palo Alto, California

At n&k Technology we faced a tough challenge of training a new crew of recent CS graduates for sustaining engineering of a large code base, while at the same time setting up an infrastructure to support CMM key process areas for level 2 and 3. Juval Lowy of IDesign proved to be worth his weight in gold when he provided consulting and mentoring precisely targeted at our needs, which were:

• Object oriented design and coding standards
• Multi-threaded programming
• Synchronization classes that enhance programmer productivity
• Object oriented design patterns
• Enterprise Services
• .NET technology and the future of windows based programming

In addition to maintenance of our existing product line, our software team must create a new generation of software using interface-based modules to allow us to respond quickly to market demands by creating many variations and configurations of our products. As we go forward with the next generation design, it is good to know that we can rely on Juval for world-class expertise as a consultant to help us formulate our architecture and design.

D. Christopher Pinkard
Manager, Software Engineering
n&k Technology
Santa Clara, California

I just want to take a moment to say thank you. We are in the process of converting our application to services using the IDesign Methodologies. While it hasn't gone perfectly, it has been very successful. We've almost completed our third release using your architecture. We're definitely starting to see many of the benefits you described. This is a US Air Force Application in use across most of the AF. In addition to the many internal benefits we feel very prepared for the future. Our customers are very happy with our progress. Thank you for all of the information, mentoring, articles and presentations. We could not have done it without you.

Greg Sharp
USAF

The Actuarials Exchange was attempting to build a smart client trading application. We had gone through many iterations of connecting the distributed clients to the server but we were not getting appropriate results or achieving any service levels. We got Juval and the IDesign team involved. Within two hours Juval was able to locate the defect with our current solution. Within two days, he recommended both a tactical and strategic solution for client connectivity and he also identified other potential problem areas. Together we began the implementation of the tactical solution. We have now completely implemented the solution and everything is working satisfactorily with all service levels being met. I firmly believe that we would not be in the position that we are today without the help of the IDesign team. I would not hesitate to use their services going forward and would highly recommend their services for anyone building distributed, highly responsive .NET applications.

Gary Pollreis
Chief Architect
The Actuarials Exchange
Chicago Illinois

Our company was developing a very large service-oriented, WCF-based distributed banking management application. The week spent with IDesign was a very valuable experience for our team. In an intense and focused engagement we managed to tackle the important issues for our project, to leverage the new Microsoft technologies and to apply a number of architectural patterns to our concrete requirements. The amount of knowledge and insight we gained during this week is something we are going to remember for the rest of our professional careers.

Aleksandar Milošević
Product Line Manager
Pexim
Beograd, Serbia and Montenegro

Through IDesign’s mentorship and specifically that of Juval Lowy, I was armed with an elaborate arsenal of resources, tools and techniques that have added a tremendous value to the quality and sophistication of my work. My professional and career development, both in management and technical proficiency has SKYROCKETED in the last year since I began to follow the principles of the IDesign Method and adhering to the tenets of service-oriented development. I have ushered my career- and that of those I lead- beyond mere craftsmanship and into software engineering. To this end, IDesign’s abounding influence in this disciple does not stop in the classroom. Regularly published articles, interviews, books, lectures and countless resources generously offered through the IDesign website continue to empower the enlightened and help to maintain a razor sharp heartbeat on relevant technique; pacing them significantly ahead of the pack.

Rick G. Garibay
Lead, Distributed Application Technologies
DriveTime Sales & Finance Company
Phoenix, AZ

IDesign’s week long Architectural Consulting engagement was an incredibly productive exercise for Emportal. From a business stand point, the process gave our architecture an enormous leap forward. We, literally, could have spent years learning from trial and error how to properly put together a large WCF-based system. Instead we spent a week being guided by IDesign, the experts in the field. That kind of opportunity is priceless for any company.

Geoff Heeren
Software Engineer
Emportal
Walnut Creek, California

Training Testimonials

"I know no other software architecture class taught by a non-academic. Kudos for offering it"

"Sean Connery war born to play 'James Bond'. 2PAC Shakur was born to rap. Juval Lowy was born to teach this class. He is NOT a software legend; he is a software icon."

"I will use these techniques every day, for the rest of my professional career. You are a visionary and truly a legend".

"Juval's the best!! I get so many ideas is a short time. Best training available IMO."

"It seams like I have a Hubble telescope on my eyes after this class. I can see software architecture and technology much better now".

"Thank you! This validates where I am, and where I want to head!"

"A triumph of clarity & consistency in a sea of nonsense"

"The discussion and the clear description of the architect's job – I did not know, in a clear way, what my job should be – nobody could tell me."

"The IDesign Method gives me the substance to the intuitive void that I've struggled with for years."

"Juval Lowy did amazing job, he has provided an amazing set of tools to take my business to the next level."

"This week was without has without a doubt changed my professional life. Thank you."

Various Attendees

"A truly unique class of an incredible value. Many thanks."

"This class, by far, has been the most valuable educational experience of my professional career. I have seen Juval's "Zen of Architecture" sessions at multiple conferences and while they always resonated with me it took this week of immersion to really get the depth of understanding I needed."

"This week was both professionally and personally profound. I discovered that what I hoped might be true, really was true; and then I was shown how to achieve it."

"The best technical course I have taken bar-none."

"Fantastic class. I wish you could have zapped me when I was 25."

"It was a great class. I needed it years ago."

"Provided lots of material to chew on for the rest of weeks, months, years"

"Best training I have ever attended. Will do more for my career than any single decision I have ever made"

"This class cost me $7000+ when factoring tuition, lost income and expenses. I think it was worth it as it will change the trajectory I'm on professionally and position me for the future."

"I felt very privileged to be part of this class."

"Worth its weight in gold"

"Mind expanding"

"You cannot obtain the knowledge and expertise imparted in this class anywhere else, not in any book, or on the web for any amount of money"

"I would never have believed that someone could keep my undivided attention for 5 straight 8-hours days. Juval did it. That's insane. Thank you so much!"

Various Attendees

Pour the IDesign Method out on the table, grab your hard hat, and get to work! That's the Architecture Clinic in a nutshell. Be warned, however: This awesome, multi-day, hands-on, team-oriented session is not for the faint of heart or brain. The stories you've heard are indeed true – grueling days and nights, intense design critiques, heated debates, walking on beds of hot coals, raised glasses. You'll come away thoroughly worked, molded, and evolved. You'll view distributed systems in a new light. You'll finally see how IDesign’s pragmatic approach and all of the great theory you've soaked up over the years fits together, how straightforward solving hard, complex problems can be, how it all makes sense. So what are you waiting for? You need this Architecture Clinic. Pull the ripcord. Sign up. Now.

Matthew Drayer
Architect
Carbonite, Inc.

The course was excellent and I feel well prepared to take the next steps along this journey. It was a great 40+ hours of instruction and I look forward to the next excellent course offered by IDesign.

Kevin Rintoul
Latitude Geographics
USA

When I signed up for this class, I knew that it would be a good long-term benefit. It also has opened my eyes to how this can be of immediate benefit to a new contract we've just signed.
I will be pushing the owner to accelerate our team's attendance of IDesign Master classes. (This is the sixth course for a four member team.)
By any measure, this is exceptional value for our company.

Thomas Kurilla
BONN Corporation
USA

Paula is Absolutely Outstanding!She opened my eyes to the ‘ease of hacking’ and the fear that entertains every administrator’s worst nightmare. It’s one thing to see the “denial of service attacks” on your firewall …it’s a whole different thing when the nightmare walked thru your front door from a user’s personal device. Paula, can prove it!

Julie Harper

The Architecture Clinic was an exceptional week designing systems in a highly collaborative and fun environment. It was great to be involved in robust discussion about all aspects of system design and architecture. It was amazing how Juval steered us towards the right conclusion while not giving away the answer but really providing the tools and thought processes that you must go through to solve the same problems for any project. Probably most of all, I really enjoyed spending time with the other participants and IDesign staff. I find it always good to get different views on application design and architecture and often the company environment does not allow the kind of discussion that takes place during the clinic. Either due to lack of qualified peers or the general political environment. It was awesome how everyone had an open mind - there was a lot of challenging stuff thrown at us and most of it was not easy! It was really interesting to see a design evolve as we discussed different aspects of the system, threw the design back and forth and (yes really!) disagreed on some of the decomposition. You can't learn this stuff from a book... Evening discussions were another highlight - we talked all angles of software from the future of enterprise systems, mega style corps all the way to startups, managing teams and careers. Thank you to all the participants and the IDesign people for putting on the clinic.

Peter Nieuwenhuizen
Software Engineer
Call Design

In the Architecture Clinic we had great people, weather, food and a hard work. I did expect it though based on format of the class: 12-14 people designing and reviewing 3-4 projects plus training sessions at night. We had two instructors, Juval Lowy and Michael "Monty" Montgomery. I have seen Monty's astute discussions on the IDesign Alumni, and in person I found him to be a very bright guy, smart as you could never imagine. And Juval? Juval is a God, a true master. Would you like his personal attention, here is your chance. Both were there just for that, listen, understand, help us in turn to listen and understand, show us the right way of designing the systems. We were like a big family that week, I missed you All. If you are going to the clinic, be prepared, bring your questions, bring your project and be ready to participate. Just as important, bring an open mind. You'll get out of this clinic everything you'd like to get, but you have to know what it is. It's different from any other class because you have to put yourself to work in the environment with the projects you are not familiar with, with people you just met. Raise your concerns about your work, life, everyone would love to hear them because we are all have similar ones and would like to know how to fix them, as such, the this class will benefit any level of people, from developer to a Senior Architect.

Leila Koziy
Iron Mountain

I found the Architecture Clinic to be a really unique opportunity for gaining condensed hands on experience on designing a variety of real world systems. I liked the concept of putting strong emphasis on practicing the proper decomposition of software systems. Providing feedback on every system from experienced architects was extremely valuable since it really revealed the reasoning and thought process behind architectural decisions. Mixing up teams for every new system also was definitely a very good idea that you should stick to. All in all a great week with a lot of work and fun and a bunch of very interesting people – thanks!

Thomas Blome
Bitflag IT-Consulting GmbH

Just to let you know, the class really opened my eyes to a whole different way of seeing things. I remember getting back and telling a co-worker that I felt like I’d been working in black & white before and after the class everything was in color.
Cheers & Thanks!

Nathaniel Jones
Vice President, Architecture
Everyday Health

The class does itself a disservice by calling itself a "cloud architecture" class, as it's much more than that. It's really a class on how to design a large scale software system of any kind "today", as opposed to ten, or even five years ago. Perhaps, "Software architecture in the age of the cloud", or something like that, would do it more justice.
I've been developing software in various capacities for over 15 years, and thought I understood, at least, the basic principles of distributed system design. The class made me realize that the cloud forces, or should force us, to rethink what those principles are. Most of what I thought I knew is wrong.
What one learns in this class is, by its very nature, extremely new. It can't be found in any book, or online. It will probably be years before it is written down, codified, and accepted as standard practice. I can't imagine that anyone else is teaching anything remotely like it. Thus the class, is, in the truest sense, unique, and uniquely useful to the practicing software architect.
As for Shy, in particular, his combination of intelligence, knowledge, passion and humor is (literally) awe-inspiring. I can think of only one other person I've ever come across who is at his level (and who also, as it happens, dresses in black).

Stephen Taylor

There are a lot of great things to be said about the Architect's Master Class and the follow-up Architecture Clinic. The breadth and depth of information conveyed along with the flawless execution of the material, is something that must be experienced to be understood. If you don't leave the class without experiencing at least one epiphany I will be shocked. The information presented is fact-based, backed by years of practice and documentation and is presented with such focus and mastery that it should be worthy of an award. The IDesign architects are literally the masters of the art and science that is Software Engineering. If I had to sum up the entire experience in one sentence, it would be: This is the modern equivalent of an aspiring artist being taken under the wings of Da Vinci, Dali, or Monet.

Will Comeaux
Software Architect

IDesign’s Architect’s class is far and away the best training class I have ever taken. It transcends technological trends and gives you practical knowledge that will be useful for almost any platform and for the rest of your career. Easily the best thing I've spent my money on in quite a while.

Geoff Heeren
Lead Architect
Emportal

Having just completed IDesign's WCF Master Class, I have only one word to describe it: AMAZING!. IDesign's depth of knowledge and level of technical understanding on the topic is simply beyond reproach. This, combined with the instructor's ability to keep students both engaged and entertained throughout the week, made for a enjoyable yet incredibly productive learning experience. I have no doubt that the lesson's and techniques learned from this class will prove invaluable both immediately in my everyday work and for years to come throughout my career. Thanks IDesign!

Kevin Fitch
Senior Software Engineer
EMC Corporation
Franklin, MA

I wanted to thank you again for an incredibly valuable week here. You have provided us a great foundation from which to build out our knowledge base and helped validate some of our existing design decisions. Equally important, we will be able to make our future design choices with more confidence.

Doug Durham
NebraskaGlobal

After taking the WCF Master Class last year, I felt the Architects Master Class would be the perfect follow up to take things to the next level. This class is light years ahead of the industry in terms of content and the sheer volume of knowledge the IDesign team presented. It’s a unique experience to be able to see the world through the eyes of world class architects, learn their techniques and way of thinking.

Stuart Snaddon
Software Engineer
United Kingdom

This was very useful. There is a dearth of information on cloud architecture and Shy's class has been a great way to jump in and quickly accelerate to the point where you can ask the right questions and make the right tradeoffs.

Mahesh Ramchandani
HBK Captial Management

At the WCF Master Class, from the very first minute, right through the very last second, we were honored to be subjected to a non-stop top notch stream of 1st class information. As excellent as learning about specific technology such as WCF is, something else much more important and deeply profound had occurred during the WCF Master Class – I adopted the mindset and thought processes used to answer the questions of how to apply WCF correctly. We had a chance to spend a full-on, intense week with a true Master of the Craft. While we learned the WCF specifics, we were exposed to the refined and expert thought processes of IDesign. For this, I cannot say "Thank You" enough. My professional life has changed for the better in a truly substantial way. It's as if, as a generous bonus, I also learned how to think right. If you can bring yourself to study with the true Masters of IDesign, please do yourself a BIG favor and go!
Thank you the IDesign Team.

Michael Gurevich
COO
Cygnusoft Inc.

I just wanted to thank IDesign for the class. I used things it taught me immediately in my work and found the ideas presented to be quite excellent. I would even say those that gave testimonials were not blowing smoke on this whatsoever. If anything they are underselling it. I started architecting my current system based on your methods, and am finding it to be a really intelligent way to go about my work. Juval, everything you said is coming out in spades. I feel I can handle pretty much anything that is thrown at me and I will create a great system for my company. Thanks again for the class and the ideas presented.

Steve Portock
Software Architect
St. Louis, Missouri

Attending the Architect Master Class by Juval Lowy was simply the most rewarding professional experience of my career. The material was a world class combination of methodology, process, and technology that no one else in the industry is teaching. Juval’s extensive experience and knowledge base allowed him to present the material in a historical context that changed my perspective on current technologies in ways I did not previously think possible. I also thoroughly enjoyed Juval’s witty presentation style which kept me on my toes and, more importantly for such an intense class, kept my attention firmly focused. I now feel more prepared than ever to take my career to new heights and continue to build upon my newfound knowledge. I would recommend this class to any serious Architect looking for that elusive next level of enlightenment. Thank you Juval!

Joe Crabtree
Solutions Architect
SharePoint360

The Cloud Architect Master Class (CAMC) was a great class with already a huge impact on one of my clients. This client has struggled with the high cost of infrastructure for his custom build CRM tool. We first migrated him to Amazon's AWS offering with a 50% cost savings, only at the time I didn't realize I was only using AWS as an IaaS. With the CAMC, I was able to change my mindset and realize that the cloud is more than just an IaaS, it is also a SaaS that can provide huge cost and maintenance savings. After the CAMC, I was able to migrate my client to a hybrid design, as taught in the CAMC, which leveraged two cloud providers and lowered the clients hosting costs to 6% of the original dedicated monthly hosting bill. Without the CAMC I would have been stuck in a IaaS mindset, not a true cloud mindset that I have now after the CAMC.

Josh Bartley
Owner
Bartley Systems LLC

The WCF Master class is "THE” seminar for WCF. It's a life saver, compressing many years of learning and providing a significant advantage and knowledge. The workshop presents the pros and cons of applying different techniques. The "why", "how", pitfalls and "what can you do about it?" are illustrated, articulated as well as supported by real-world scenarios and demos. This seminar forces you to think thoroughly, and by doing so making you a better software engineer, understanding how things should be done right the first time. IDesign are the WCF insiders, and the time was spent on hard-knocks no B.S software engineering and architecture par excellence!

Noel Arienza
Software Architect
Chevron

Wanted to thank you for the highly impressive Architect’s Master Class.
I have never walked out of any training, whatsoever, so stunned as walking out of this. It has the exact mixture of practical and theoretical content. My only regret is that it didn't last longer :)
I have already started talking with our project managers and architects about process leadership and the role of an architect.

Thanks Again,

Ally Pearl
SharePoint Consultant
OBS

IDesign is my IT fire department…you hope you never have to call, but when you do, you’re glad they are there…..our most recent call came when we only had weeks to learn .NET work flow (WF) and deliver a quality solution. Brian Noyes of IDesign arrived promptly, assessed our requirements and abilities and quickly had us developing a solution that was specific to our project before the end of the day! Brian quickly adapted to our specific project requirements, guiding us to a solution by leveraging the skills and abilities of our team. Brian Noyes is truly a world class professional who possesses the uncanny ability to get to the correct solution fast.

Willis "JB" Blankenship
Web Development Manager
ASM Research
Fairfax, VA

The Architect’s Master course was the single most relevant and useful professional training I’ve ever attended. Juval brings his deep experience and Zen master-like wisdom to the class and makes it easy to apply the lessons to real world scenarios. If you are lucky enough to attend, you will emerge from the class, a lean, mean, service-oriented machine.

David Carrico
System Architect
ITG

IDesign's WCF Master Class not only taught me the skills I needed to get to another level in .NET development, but even better the material is immediately applicable with significant productivity gains right out of the gate. Less than two weeks after the class and my team and I are already utilizing the practices I learned in the WCF class with great success. I particularly liked that they didn't just teach us how to use WCF out of the box, but to enhance on it where it is weak, and use the technology the way that it should be used.
Thank IDesign for the opportunity to attend such an excellent class!!

Todd Morrey
Applications Architect
Black Diamond Equipment

It has to be the most influential and profound course I have ever undertaken; it has given me a depth and breadth of knowledge that was unbelievable.

Robert Dyball
WorkCover NSW

Just got back from a grueling week at IDesign’s Architecture Clinic. Much like the Master Class, I feel this one propelled me ahead years (which explains why I’m so exhausted). I’ve struggled with what functional decomposition is, why it’s bad, and what’s the right way to decompose based on volatility. A couple days into the Clinic, I was still stuck and thinking that maybe my brain was just not wired right. However, after working with my team to decompose our third system, things finally clicked, lights flicked on, rubber met road, and I got it! I can just about guarantee if you’re struggling like I was, the Clinic is the solution to your problem. The two things the Clinic gave me that are tough to get in the real world were four opportunities to practice architecting a system – non-trivial, real systems BTW – and get my designs reviewed by master software architects. Those two things in conjunction made it worth every penny, and everything else – hearing eight other designs and reviews, the IDesign Method training, the process lecture, the bonus classes, lunches and dinners with the IDesign architects – made it that much better. To top it all, the Clinic was a great opportunity to meet 14 of the best leads/architects in the field, and work closely with the Masters from IDesign. Richard and Shy, you guys were awesome, and thanks for going above and beyond with the sessions. You have frighteningly relentless amounts of energy. I learned a ton.

Todd Sprang
BNA Software

The IDesign WCF Master Class is really outstanding. Be prepared for 5 very tough but fascinating days where you will dig into the secrets of WCF. If you plan to use this technology in your future development - and you will have to - you must be among the few privileged people who attend it. IDesign, it rocks!

Olivier Rouit
Architect
Gemplus

The Architect’s Master Class rigorous approach to software design and development will enable you to engage in software architecture as an engineering discipline. I can see how my past failures could have been prevented if I had applied the IDesign method. My understanding of what the software architect is actually supposed to do has been clarified and reshaped by the class. The IDesign Architect’s Master Class is an essential part of any software architect’s training. You should not in good conscience call yourself a software architect if you don’t posses the skills and techniques presented in the class.

Russ Ferrill
Software Engineer
Vendor Safe Technologies

Overall the clinic was awesome. I personally feel it provides more value for the $ than the AMC does (if you can imagine that is possible). Knowing there is a better way of architecting is great, which the AMC class helps bring to light - however I still found myself struggling with what it all meant prior to attending this clinic. The clinic is a special environment where like-minded peers can meet, work and learn together while surrounded with the attentive IDesign master architects. The result was a truly unique experience that has helped to elevate my skill set provided me with the tools and mindset to think outside the box. The clinic comprised of much more than just training on the IDesign method and architecture techniques. It provided invaluable experience and feedback on critical thinking, conducting interviews with clients and presentation skills, all while encouraging you to ask questions you normally have no hope of answering and is tailored to assist with your specific projects which makes it priceless. I also appreciated IDesign's patience with all the additional questions that were thrown at them outside off-hours. That was extremely helpful to the attendees. In short, the clinic is a must-do for any established or up and coming architect.

Brian Wagg
Software Technology Analyst
Tyler Technologies, Inc.

IDesign has a unique way of presenting the design alternatives and narrowing them down to the best practices. The Architect's Master Class will teach you everything you need to know about architecting and building service-oriented applications. Not only will you walk away with a great learning experience, you will also have a host of tools and examples that you can put to work in your applications right away. This alone saved us months of development time and effort.

Michael Marchiondo
Spectrum Technology Consultants
Columbus, OH

You will be challenged by the depth of the IDesign knowledge, The WCF class will constantly surprise you with new paradigms. The WCF class summaries and best-practice approaches have saved me probably years of wasted time. You quickly learn the proper techniques and every example has some real world business use. In the end, you leave with a framework of designs that can be expanded to almost any high level that might be used in the industry. In some ways you feel they are giving away knowledge that most others would charge huge sums of money for, but in the end the purpose is made clear -- they wants others to adopt best practices and turn the art of programming into a full-fledged engineering discipline; attempting to make our jobs (and theirs) easier. I believe the IDesign WCF Master Class is one of the few ways to get over the hump and start moving towards being a disciplined professional.

Charles Wilson
Senior Developer and Analyst
Transamerica

Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience to us and it was the best technical class I have ever attended. You have provided answers to many of the lingering questions I used to have and that too without me asking all these questions, again it was wonderful and enchanting class.

Manoj Garg
FIS Global

Veterans of the IDesign already value the knowledge gained at an IDesign master class. I attempted to apply The Method after taking the WCF and Architect's master classes in 2009 and 2010, and thought I was doing fairly well. However, I still struggled with identifying the volatile areas in real-world business systems. After attending the Architecture Clinic I now feel that I have truly seen the light. The IDesign Master Architects took us under their collective wing, and we architected four different systems. We also reviewed and critiqued twelve other architectures of the same systems. This clinic is more of a brief apprenticeship than anything else. An apprenticeship with world-renowned masters focused on boosting your knowledge and understanding to a level that is unattainable anywhere else. After only four time-crunched applications of The IDesign Method, we all progressed significantly. I feel that I moved ahead five or more years. On a personal note, if you are serious as a software architect, I implore you to become the change we desperately need to see in software architecture! Take this clinic as the first step. Then take again... I'll see you there.

Scott Klueppel
Independent software architect

The incredible amount of experience and knowledge presented during the Architect’s Master class, in a few unbelievable days, has completely changed the way I think about software architecture. One of the main takeaways is the IDesign Method which is simple and effective was of designing systems. The method is so clear, simple and to the point that it can be implemented into our existing or future projects immediately, improving project schedules and increasing quality.

Camilo Orozco
Bioinformatics Programmer
GNF

The IDesign WCF Master Class is a great vehicle for those who want to become exposed to WCF and quickly gain detailed technical knowledge about its many features. IDesign is unmatched in its ability to grasp and communicate the full range of information about WCF, from high-level concepts to low-level details, and everything in-between.

Tom Kent
Software Engineer
Netflix

I just wanted to let you know what a truly amazing week I had and how thankful I am to the IDesign team. From getting to meet my peers to designing real-world systems to your emphatic slaps of “FUNCTIONAL” and “APPROVED”, it was an experience I won’t be forgetting anytime soon! Having had a few days to step back, I think the biggest personal impact of the clinic was going beyond learning about the IDesign Method to learning how I could apply it and the realization that it is something I can actually do, and instruct others in executing. Of course, the flip-side of that is appreciating for the first time how much more there’s still to learn and practice. It was inspiring and real pleasure learning from IDesign, not just the design techniques but also the “softer” aspects of architecting a system such as customer interview and presenting a design for review. I can’t wait to see where IDesign takers the work of educating architects next.

Drew Loika
Team Lead, Software Engineer/Architect
University of Oregon

I wanted to let you know how impressed I was with the Architect’s Master Class. I have had a somewhat chequered career and for the last ten years or so have been in IT. During that time, I have attended more lectures, training courses and conferences than I care to count, but never have I walked out of any them as affected as last week left me. The course was entertaining, enormously thought provoking and yet, still managed to walk that fine line between theoretical and practical content. More importantly, it reignited my enthusiasm for the industry and my role in it. In addition, I will be seriously adopting the IDesign process for a project that we are just commencing. It is also the case that the knowledge that you divulged during the course will form part of our core architectural direction over the coming few years; in particular, your ‘every class as a service’ approach has ignited a great deal of curiosity and excitement amongst our senior developers!
Thanks Again,

Malcolm Young
General Manager, Architecture and Technology
F1 Solutions

The class was a mind blower, and a perfect educational complement to the WCF class. Juval was on fire. By the end of the week he had led the discussion beyond skills and techniques to address the larger concerns of professional and personal responsibility, which was truly inspirational. (And daunting. He sets the bar so high.)

Steve Taylor
Technical Lead
HEA Consulting

The Architecture Clinic is an exceptionally well designed and organized week. The level of knowledge and experience available for consumption in the clinic was astounding. Each day from sun up, until well past sun down we worked through exercises and discussions on applying “The Method”. This clinic is a battle, through the fields of volatility fighting the functional thought process. You are not alone in this battle as you are led by world renowned Generals in the field of software architecture, and fight along side others of varying yet valuable skill sets. The final victory is an “Approved” sign stamped on your architectural design. There is nothing that can compare to the feeling of a panel of Industry leaders rewarding you for your work. The amount of hard forged experience available by attending this course is immeasurable.

Christopher Martin
Software Engineer
Stella Nova

The IDesign Architect’s Master class was first rate. I never thought it was possible to learn so much in a few days, and my only regret is that the class was not longer. Juval’s clarity of thinking, precise examples, and anecdotal information has enabled me to start thinking more like a software architect. I highly recommended for anyone contemplating an architecture career or needing to work closely with architects.

Blair Shaw
Senior Consultant
Microsoft Partner Services
Redmond, Washington

The IDesign Architecture clinic was a truly unique experience which allowed me to be immersed in both time tested and the latest architectural concepts and trends all under the mentorship of true masters of the art. It was a rare opportunity to work so closely and share knowledge with other individuals in this field on real world architectural problems and solutions. The week long class far exceeded my expectations and I recommend it to any serious Architect who is interested in taking their knowledge of systems architecture to a higher level.

Eric Scherrer
Software Architect

The IDesign Architect's Master Class is a true awakening. Juval spoke candidly about our software development crisis and presented his insight and solutions. His incredible knowledge of the software development history and methodical analysis of its evolution and future enlighten and inspire me. I am eager to apply the IDesign Method and WCF in our future projects along with the IDesign effective software development process using the templates for project management, top-level design, and share these techniques with management and fellow developers at Circle K.

Chao-Sha Huang
Senior Software Engineer
Circle K Stores

Just like most of you I have become accustomed with the high quality of Juval Lowy's body of work (articles, books) over the years. So, when I heard of his WCF Master Class and then Architect's Master class I have decided to attend them. I was not disappointed. Juval’s classes are above all an intellectual pleasure, both in breadth and depth; he gives you the ins and outs of the topic and then distills this immense body of knowledge into best practices. Juval engineering approach illuminates his classes and will win you over. I would recommend these classes to anyone interested in acquiring top notch skills.

Sabin Blejan
Software Engineer

The IDesign Architecture Clinic was hands down the best training I have attended in my career. Juval's passion for architecture shines through and I learnt a great deal. It was refreshing to be challenged to think, rather than just being spoon fed course content. Running through the IDesign Method for a few real life systems gave me a good understanding of the thought processes behind the Method. The focus on decomposing a system into change resilient components is invaluable. If you want a thought provoking, challenging week of training, I highly recommend the IDesign architecture clinic.

Matthew Murphy
Solutions Architect
nib health funds limited
Newcastle, Australia

Thanks again for your brilliantly executed week of training. I cannot begin to tell you how much I feel I have learned except for articulate that after your class I have reached a level of new enthusiasm for my career that rivals the even the first time I complied source into a working program. My team and I have come away with an incredible set of new skills that will prove to be a tactical advantage on any of our projects. I’m certain this knew knowledge by itself would prove to have a positive impact on any task we would need to accomplish. Couple this with the fact that you framed the use of these skills in the context of a solid and executable process and the value of the class becomes immeasurable. You have redefined what we thought we were capable of and I truly thank you.

Joshua Dees
Director of MIS
Black Diamond Equipment Ltd.
Salt lake City, Utah

To me, the most memorable and unique aspect of the class was not the technical or architecture insight (great as that was). It was Shy's wonderful job of teaching, from a comprehensive program of instructions to effective mentoring. His interpersonal skills and genuine concern towards his students kept me motivated to learn. He has the inherent ability to explain the most complicated concept in the simplest way, that has a lasting effect. I recently have migrated an existing website to Windows Azure. One of challenges was connectivity between client and services. The comprehensive class discussion on networking, communications and the Service Bus, enabled me to wire clients to our existing WCF services with relative ease. It also greatly helped me to understand what it takes to develop secured messaging and connectivity in the cloud. The seminar taught me how to estimate the cost of migrating an existing application to Windows Azure. It explained different design decisions and how it impact the cost of using "compute hours" and reduce storage cost in the cloud. I also learned cost-saving architectural patterns to limit bandwidth use and transactions count. The seminar gave me a complete and thorough overview of the scaling features of Windows Azure and architectural principles that's helping me now in designing scalable systems in my current job. The above are only few insights of what I gained from attending the Cloud Architect Master Class. The class was also a great production, from great food to night sessions with key cloud speakers from Amazon and Microsoft. There never was a dull moment. For me this experience was invaluable.

Chito T Domingo
Midland Consulting, Inc.

Four weeks after the Architecture Clinic we have completed the design for a substantial project based on the IDesign Method. My journey started after the Architect's Master Class last year. The architect’s role was so much broader than I imagined. Would I be able to do all these unfamiliar tasks that I still hadn’t quite got my head around? Was that really my responsibility? Would I even be allowed to try? I was battling to get my everyday tasks done as it was. But the new perspective came with an obligation, and I started looking at old problems in a new light and talking about some of the concepts (don’t base design on the requirements because they will change, encapsulate volatility, separating orchestration from execution, etc.). I was pleasantly surprised at how receptive people were to the concepts (especially business people). Those conversations were noticed and in November last year I was asked to take on the architecture of the new project. The biggest stumbling block for me at that time was getting the decomposition of the Managers and the Engines right – I knew what I was supposed to do in theory, but I kept running into problems (I felt I needed another layer of managers above the managers). Through the most amazing luck the Architecture Clinic came to Australia at just the right time and working through real life examples helped it all fall into place. It was also great to have a refresher of some of the Architect's Master Class material (I could much better understand the significance this time around). It was invaluable to bounce some of our specific problems off Juval. At the time I thought the emphasis on presentation skills was a bit off-topic but it was a tremendous help when I found myself standing in front of a crowded room presenting our design just a few weeks later. It really drove home what an important role confidence plays at all levels.

Michael Ritchie
Software Architect
Perth Mint
Australia

When I attended the Architect Master Class several years ago I was literally blown away by all of the content covered. It was easily the most thought provoking week of professional training I had ever experienced. It was also a bit overwhelming similar to when you first dump a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle onto a table. The Architecture Clinic helps you to piece all of the theory learned in the Master class together by applying it to real live systems that the participants are working on, as nothing crystallizes theoretical concepts like the act of applying them to real-life scenarios. The ability to architect multiple systems side by side with your peers is invaluable—the level of expertise and knowledge contained in one room is profound. That alone is worth the price of admission but there is so much more. You spend an entire week with the IDesign architects whose credentials speak for themselves—not only are they teaching software design, they are your mentors—the key to your success. Success not only in architecting a software system using the proven methodology ("The IDesign Method") but success in selling your design to your boss and managing the project to its successful completion while both minimizing costs and risks. The Architect Master Class combined with Architecture Clinic creates a lifetime worth of training that any aspiring architect should not hesitate to attend. It was the best training in my lifetime.

J. J. Koran
Information Technologies Manager
IIE
Norcross, GA

I have attended both the Architect's Master Class and the Architecture Clinic. This is by far the best educational self-investment I have made. The two complete each other. The content presented in the Architect's Master Class is an eye opener, to a point where I could actually identify exactly what went wrong with past projects that have led them to overrun, and what can be done in the future to decrease the chance of it happening again. Understanding the core principles of The IDesign Method and the thinking that has led to this approach might not be enough to recognize how powerful it can become when applied to real live systems. This is where the Architecture Clinic comes in. Group-architecting several systems, looking at each from several view points, is the experience I needed to feel confident that I actually understand how the IDesign Method works. It has been several months now since the Architecture Clinic. The more I practice “The Method”, even just by redesigning old projects, the more I realize how unbelievably powerful it is.

Ally Pearl
Software Architect
Melbourne, Australia

Thought I would drop a note regarding the Architecture Clinic which I attended last week in San Jose - it was FANTASTIC, and everything that I wanted to be. My only regret is that it was over too quickly, even though we worked most days from 8AM to 11PM. (No we were not in class after 7PM - and yes we DID work until 7PM - but after class we all stuck together and simply continued the discussion.)
That was the point of the clinic however, discussion. The exchange of ideas, and how to structure and convey those thoughts via diagrams at a high level. That made this clinic, in my opinion, priceless. How often do you (an aspiring architect) get to review 4 systems, in 4 days (+1 day for an intro), and define an architecture for them. This type of experience in the real world would take many years! There are very few architects working in large corporations that would see 4 systems per year, let alone have the freedom to architect those systems without any restrictions (politically, environmentally). On top of all that, there is a room of Architects exchanging ideas across these systems – the learning in this environment simply is exponential!

Richard Reukema
Solution Architect
Ontario, Canada

The Architecture Clinic was unquestionably the single best week of training I have attended and it was the perfect follow-up for the Architect's Master Class. I came into the week thinking that I understood the IDesign Method. While I was comfortable with the mechanical aspects of the IDesign Method, I still had a strong bias to decomposing systems in a functional manner. In the scope of one week, I had the opportunity to go through three cycles of architecting real world systems alongside my peers and with expert IDesign architects providing constant feedback. After the first system, it was clear to me that I did not yet understand the deeper concepts presented from the Architect's Master Class. Over the next two systems, I was able to get to a point at the end of the week where I feel much more comfortable with following a volatility-based approach to system architecture. Beyond just the technical aspects of architecture, the Architecture Clinic also provided an opportunity to practice the other skills the architect requires. I got very useful feedback on not just the quality of my design, but on how effective I was at selling the design in an architecture review. Also, we had an entire day to take one of our completed designs and walk through designing the project plan. The Architecture Clinic took knowledge that would have taken years to acquire and compressed the learning curve down into a matter of days. I would highly recommend any veterans of the Architect's Master Class to attend the clinic.

Mark Sweat
Software Architect
Koch Industries

The IDesign Architecture Clinic is a thought provoking in-depth look on how to properly architect software systems. The Architecture Clinic picks up where the Architect's Master Class leaves off by allowing you to apply the IDesign Method to real software projects under the tutelage and mentoring of IDesign. This is the kind of real hands-on experience that you can’t get anywhere else. If that was all there was it would be the best class I have ever taken, but it does not stop there. We practiced everything from the soft skills of communicating effectively to how to guide and execute the project to its conclusion. We had bonus night training sessions and an entire day devoted to process. If you want to know how to better decompose a system based on volatility or how to provide real answers to questions like “how long will it take and how much will it cost?” than this is the class for you. No fluff, no nonsense real world training presented in language that is simple to understand but deep in meaning. The IDesign Architecture clinic is a must for any software architect who is looking take the next step in building great software.

Jason Jones
Software Architect
eData Solutions

After a while back “in the trenches” I wanted to post about my experience with the Architecture Clinic and beyond. For the past 17 years, I’ve been rolling along with different techniques for breaking systems up into their various components, based on functionality that was either complex or likely to change. The systems I put together were modular yet did not handle changes in the business as well as I would have liked. The eye opener for me with the IDesign Method was the focus on the volatility in the business and then architecting the system based on those areas of volatility. For those that have attended the Architect's Master Class but haven’t had an opportunity to attend the Clinic, I cannot stress enough the value of the Clinic since it will have a profound impact on future architecture and design decisions that you make. After the Architect's Master Class, I understood the concepts with the IDesign Method, but once I got back and had a blank piece of paper staring back at me I was struggling. The week of the Clinic and the intense “hands on” exercises have solidified my understanding of the IDesign Method. Plus, techniques that helped navigate from the overall mission statement down to the areas of volatility has helped tremendously to stay focused on the areas of the system that are of importance. Acquiring a solid set of skills to get you from interviewing the customer to completing a system architecture (and all the steps in between) was priceless. Overall, I have to say this is by far the best investment I’ve made in terms of architecture training. I never would have thought that just a single week would have such an impact on my career, but I definitely will never look at architecting systems the same as I did prior to the Clinic. It was awesome to spend the week with so many sharp folks that are dedicated to good system design and a lot of fun to get to know everyone I had a chance to.

Jeremy Sloan
Senior Architect
Data-Tronics Corp.
Fort Smith, AR

I’ve been practicing the IDesign Method for a while now, and over the years my solutions keep getting better. They are consistent, they meet the requirements, they are extensible, easy to maintain, scalable, robust, secure, and delivered on time. I will admit I still make mistakes, both technical and soft-skills, and I wish I had a world-class architect looking over my shoulder telling me what I was doing wrong, how to recognize functional design, how to spot process mistakes and how to resolve the issues. That is what the Architecture Clinic addressed for me. A week of having IDesign architects guiding and teaching me what I needed to do, techniques for how to do it correctly, how to spot mistakes early on and fix them, and how to present my ideas with confidence. The speed at which everyone attending the clinic learnt was phenomenal. There were people that weren’t full time architects and had no industry knowledge, designing the architecture for financial trading software on day three of the clinic!! The solutions presented by the groups on day 4 were what I would expect a top software architect with years of training and experience to produce. The transformation from day 1 to day 4 was truly amazing. In summary, I will never have to ask myself what I need to do again. I simply follow the mechanical process of the IDesign Method and apply the techniques of the Architecture Clinic, following its steps and at the end I will have captured the correct requirements, a beautiful architecture, an impressive presentation technique, and a software delivery process ready for success.

Stuart Snaddon
Software Architect
United Kingdom

Software architecture is engineering. Design and development of software systems must be done using a methodology that demystifies the process, reigns in technology and complexity and enables the teams’ productivity. The Architect’s Masters Class targets precisely these goals. The curriculum is built from Juval’s amazing in-depth understanding of architecture and original analysis techniques along with years of actual experience. All elements give architects the skills to deliver successfully on quality, on schedule, on budget, on features, for now and as the system evolve. I consider this the graduate class for real world Architects charged with providing solutions to real world businesses.

Joshua Dees
VP of MIS
Black Diamond Equipment Ltd.

Thank you for the Architecture Clinic. The passion that Shy and Monty bring to the clinic is impressive. It is the best bang for the buck ever just on the face of it – 15 students, 2 instructors, and 14-hour days. But of course the real value is the opportunity to practice the IDesign method and to have our work critiqued by two veteran architects as well as our peers. The extra material about the Cloud was a cold shower – a wake-up call about the cloud – and yet inspiring about its possibilities. The Architect's Master Class a year ago helped me to improve my contributions to and to 3M Health Information Systems, and to gain the trust of many of my coworkers. I am confident that the clinic will accelerate that trend (I’m equally sure that continuous, patient evangelism will be needed). IDesign’s commitment to mentoring is much needed, and of great value to the software community.

James Mauldin
Software Architect
3M Health Information Systems

For anyone who has ever wondered if there is a better way of creating software, the Architect’s Master Class is nothing short of a revelation. Juval Löwy systematically demolishes (seemingly) all conventional-wisdom of software best-practice with precision, contextual honesty and reasoned argument; by the end of the first day you can already feel your consciousness being raised to a level you never knew existed. At the same time, he deconstructs each of his original teaching modules with crystal-clarity, coupled with the wit and good-humour of a master raconteur. As such, your attention is held with relentless focus for five gruelling days, during which Juval takes it upon himself to instil in you his vast experience as a world-class engineer. Microsoft recognizes him as a ‘Software Legend’, but to anyone who wants to be the best they can be, he is simply the Maestro.

Dr Riccardo Bennett-Lovsey
Senior Programmer Analyst
London, UK

Having previously attended the Architect's Master Class, I simply didn't believe it was possible to attend another course that could expand my mind to the same degree with such clarity and sense. But an intense week in the Architecture Clinic put that illusion to rest: Shy Cohen's step-by-step elucidation of the IDesign Method is both masterful and engaging, and he conducts himself with seemingly endless enthusiasm and patience. In addition, his passion for teaching is self-evident, as is his willingness to help with any questions you may have. All the aspects of the Method are covered, and three increasingly challenging design workshops are punctuated with tips, advice and training on everything from non-functional decomposition to body language. For anyone who understands the theory of the Method, but still cannot seem to get it right in practice, then this is the course for you; by the end, you will find it hard to imagine designing software in any other way. Pound-for-pound, the Architecture Clinic is one of the best value training courses I have ever attended, as the good people at IDesign once again continue to provide a much-needed service that surpasses all expectations.

Dr Riccardo Bennett-Lovsey
Senior Programmer Analyst
London, UK

Simply put, the IDesign alumni that referred me to the Architect's Master Class described it as "career-altering," and he is not one for hyperbole. The class was the finest 5-day training I have been to in the last 10 years. Most classes focus only on technology, and by the end of day 5 you want to poke your eyes out with your laptop. The Architect's Master Class on the other hand, I could've done for another week. In fact, I will be back for your clinic next March. I have the benefit of having excellent sponsors that fully support my professional development, and that of my team. When I told them about the class and the clinic, they said "go!"

Ted Assur
IT Solutions Architect
Providence Health & Services

The Clinic was a very valuable experience for me. It moved me from "kind-a" believing I could use The Method in real life, to actually having used it to produce several designs. Now I'm way more confident I can effectively use it in real life projects. For me, it was a required next step after the Architect's Master. Not only was Monty's experienced mentoring very valuable, but the questions, input and collaboration of all the students was really great. Plus, teaching the soft skills required for the client Interview and the design presentation was quite useful for me.

George Stevens
Software Architect

I wanted to thank you for a (professional) life changing week. Usually I can't sit at class more than 50% of the time - it is boring and they don't teach me anything I couldn't teach myself or already know. In the Architect's Master Class I set for 9 hours a day and couldn't have enough of it: I learned what are my responsibilities as an architect (I thought the architect is only the software designer), the engineering aspect of software, the importance of delivering not only on time but also on budget and on quality, not to wait to "grow" to be an architect but to manage my career, and how to quantify and measure what I previously considered as hunches. I have much more insight from this week and many pieces are in place now. I can't wait to attend the Architecture Clinic and the other Master Classes.

Itai Zolberg
Software Architect
Tel Aviv, Israel

The combination of the Architect's Master Class with the Architects Clinic provides a great, well rounded approach for budding architects as well as seasoned professionals that want to get a handle on the task of design and implementation of service based architecture. I am glad I got a chance to attend both classes within a few months of each other. It’s not every day that you get to sit in a room with top of your peers and discuss designing systems on the fly, or presenting your designs to the group and having them critique your designs. In many teams there are few people to run ideas by, and having this forum was of immeasurable value to me. I’ve had similar comments from the other attendees from my company. In addition, it gave me a wealth of topics for research, as well as practical experience in all phases of creating architecture. From the interview, to the use case and areas of volatility identification, and on to the design diagrams and beyond, the clinic provides real world examples of the problems people are trying to solve daily, and a roadmap to accomplishing that in a standardized, rational way. I highly recommend these classes to any architect wanting to learn more about what today’s evolving technological landscape has in store for an architect, and how to meet those challenges head-on.

Daryl White
Senior Architect
Carbonite, Inc
Boston MA

I want to thank you again for the Architect's Master Class. You took me apart and put me back together again. I have known for years that the best way to do class design is to encapsulate what will change--that's what design patterns are all about. And yet it has eluded me for so long that this same concept is to be applied to architecture. It is so simple, so elegant, and was right under my nose for all of this time. I have been looking through the IDesign Alumni forum and it is an absolute gold mine, a treasure trove of knowledge and experience. Access to this alone is well worth the cost of the class. Taking the Architect's Master Class has been one of the few defining inflection points in my career. I have been searching for this material for years and have come up empty handed so many times. Thank you for putting this material together, for teaching it and for pushing our profession (and passion) towards a legitimate engineering discipline. I look forward to hearing from you on the forums and in upcoming clinics.

Cris Zamora
Senior Architect and Project Lead
Seamless
Salt Lake City, UT

There are moments in life that stake claims to permanent spaces in our minds. Some are universally relatable; marriage, graduation, the birth of a child. Sometimes though these are uniquely personal, moments that can only be described as epiphanies. For me, a number of these moments were instigated by Juval’s no-nonsense, no excuses approach to Software Architecture. Awakenings like this don’t take place in some classroom, being led through scripted labs by a questionably-qualified instructor who fails to answer any question whose answer can’t be gleamed from the course materials or found by consulting Google. Your brain has to be stimulated and engaged enough to force this kind of introspection, and that’s what the Clinic delivers. I cannot begin to express how career-changing a course like this can be when it is led by a true master of the craft. The Clinic didn’t merely teach me new things, it taught me new ways to think about things I already knew and also to revisit things I thought I already knew. If you haven’t attended the Clinic, do it. If you’ve already attended the Clinic, send your team. You will produce software leaps and bounds ahead of your best prior to the Clinic.

Brian Friedman
Lead Software Engineer
AAMVA
Washington DC