Dreamware / Services / Cloud & Architecture / System Design & Architecture Review
System Design & Architecture Review
Technical architecture, domain modelling, decision records.
About this service
System design is the work that happens before a line of code is written — and the decisions made here shape everything that follows. Good system design surfaces complexity early, when it's cheap to address. Bad system design hides it until it surfaces as a production incident or an expensive refactoring project.
We provide system design as a service for teams building new systems, and architecture review for teams who want an independent assessment of what they've built. We're direct: we'll tell you what's good, what's concerning, and what we'd change if it were our system.
Domain modelling is a particular strength. Many technical problems are really domain problems — unclear boundaries, inconsistent language, and missing concepts that cause the software to be more complicated than it needs to be. We use Domain-Driven Design techniques where they're appropriate, without applying them dogmatically.
How Dreamware approaches this
We conduct architecture reviews as structured assessments: reviewing code, infrastructure, and documentation, then running sessions with the engineering team to understand the decisions that were made and the constraints they operated under. We don't just read the code — we understand the context.
System design engagements start with domain exploration: understanding the business problems, the key entities and their relationships, and the processes the software needs to support. We produce lightweight but precise models — C4 diagrams, domain models, sequence diagrams — that communicate the design clearly without becoming documentation debt.
What you get
- Architecture review report — findings, risks, and prioritised recommendations
- Domain model — entity relationship model with precise language agreed with the business
- System design document — C4 diagrams, API contracts, data model, and operational considerations
- Architecture Decision Records — documented rationale for key decisions
- Design review workshop — working session to walk through findings with the team
- Follow-up consultation — post-delivery session to answer questions
Investment guide
Architecture reviews typically run $6,000–$15,000 NZD depending on system size and complexity. System design for new systems (without implementation) runs $8,000–$20,000. Combined design and review engagements for teams doing significant work run $15,000–$30,000. We provide a fixed-price quote after an initial scoping conversation.
All pricing in NZD excluding GST. Fixed-price engagements where scope allows — we'll confirm pricing after a free scoping conversation.
Ready to get started?
Book a free conversation. We'll tell you honestly what's realistic, what it costs, and how we'd approach it.