Frames

How To Frame a Problem with Skill (The Art of Framing)

At Microsoft, we use the term "frame" or "framing a problem" in the context of project management. You might hear somebody ask, "what's the frame?" or "how have you framed the problem?" A Frame is simply a way to partition a problem. The heart of a frame is coming up with a context to understand the dimensions that matter and figure out how to prioritize and scope. One way teams often frame a space is by building a catalog of user stories and then organizing them into themes.

Engineering Practices Frame

One of my earlier projects on the patterns & practices team at Microsoft was originally called Life-Cycle Practices. Later, I renamed it to Life-Cycle Templates. Finally, I settled on Engineering Practices. Engineering Practices became a key organizing theme for our work and served as the foundation for our ALM frame. Knowledge AreasThe Engineering Practices Frame …

The Quality Attribute Framework: Categories for Organizing Quality Attributes

Are you overwhelmed by the complexity of quality attributes and how to make sense of them in your software development projects? You’re not alone. Quality attributes can be challenging to understand and manage, but they are crucial to delivering high-quality software. That’s where the Quality Attributes Organizing Framework comes in. By categorizing quality attributes into …

Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework

“Security is not a product, but a process. It’s the way we think about things, the way we reason and the way we approach problems.” — Bruce Schneier The Security Threats and Countermeasures Framework is a comprehensive and organized approach to software security, utilizing Security Hot Spots to address common vulnerabilities and promote best practices. …

Performance Threats and Countermeasures Framework

“The goal is to turn data into information, and information into insight.” –Carly Fiorina On This Page Performance Hot Spot Categories Performance Threats Performance Vulnerabilities Performance Countermeasures The Performance Threats and Countermeasures Framework is a comprehensive and organized approach to software performance, utilizing Performance Hot Spots to address common bottlenecks and promote best practices. During …