Toward Defining the Role of the Software Architect

Software architecture is integral part of the software development; however, its integration in the development process has become more challenging with the transition from traditional to agile development methods, and with the architects becoming much more than technological experts responsible for high-level design. Some attention has been paid in recent years to the role of the architect, seeking a contemporary and comprehensive definition of this role. This paper reports on the results of an online survey, with the participation of 104 software architects, aimed at defining the soft aspects of the software architect's role. The results reveal that architects perform a variety of human-centered activities such as mentoring, leadership, reviewing and management,. Moreover, in the contexts of mentoring and leadership, software architects strive to do more than they currently do.