TL;DR
Architecture principles are durable decision rules for architecture work. In TOGAF practice, they are established in Preliminary, reviewed in Phase A, and used heavily in Phases B-D to evaluate options and keep target architecture aligned with business direction.
What architecture principles are
Architecture principles are general rules and guidelines for the use of enterprise resources and assets.
They are used to:
- guide architecture decisions
- reduce subjective or ad-hoc choices
- align change with business strategy and governance
In practice, principles should be few, clear, and long-lived.
Enterprise principles vs architecture principles
TOGAF practice usually separates two layers:
- Enterprise principles: broad principles that guide decisions across the whole enterprise
- Architecture principles: principles specifically used to guide architecture development, maintenance, and governance
Architecture principles should be traceable to enterprise goals, drivers, and enterprise-level principles.
Common categories
Teams often group architecture principles by domain:
- business principles
- data principles
- application principles
- technology principles
You can also apply principles at multiple scope levels (enterprise, segment, capability) as long as lower-level principles do not conflict with higher-level intent.
Principle lifecycle in ADM practice
Typical flow:
- Draft candidate principles with architects and key stakeholders.
- Review and approve through architecture governance (often Architecture Board).
- Store approved principles in a Principles Catalog.
- Apply principles in architecture definition and decision checkpoints.
- Amend only through formal governance/change control.
Standard TOGAF principle template
Each principle is usually written with four parts:
- Name: short and memorable label
- Statement: the rule itself, written clearly
- Rationale: why the rule matters in business terms
- Implications: what adopting the rule requires (cost, effort, process/technology impacts)
What makes a good principle
Classic TOGAF study guidance emphasizes five quality criteria:
- Complete: enough information to apply the principle in real decisions
- Consistent: no contradiction with other principles
- Stable: durable over time, not tied to short-term noise
- Understandable: clear to stakeholders and delivery teams
- Robust: useful in complex or ambiguous situations
Example principle
Name: Compliance with Law
Statement: Information management processes comply with applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
Rationale: Reduces legal/regulatory risk and protects business continuity.
Implications: Teams need compliance controls, training, and periodic updates as regulations change.
Where principles are used in ADM
- Preliminary: establish and baseline principle set
- Phase A: confirm/elaborate principles for the engagement scope
- Phases B-D: evaluate target Business, Data/Application, and Technology architectures against principles
Principles also support governance beyond B-D when solution and implementation decisions are reviewed.
Why this matters
A strong principle set improves:
- decision speed and consistency
- governance quality
- alignment between business intent and architecture outcomes
- traceability during trade-off discussions