Build It The Right Way: 7 Design Decision Principles for ServiceNow Architecture

[BillMartin]

In ServiceNow architecture, every design decision leaves a lasting impact — not just on the technical solution, but on business agility, operational stability, security, and user experience.

That’s why I’ve shared my 7 ServiceNow Design Decision Principles as part of my Build It the Right Way Framework. These principles guide architects and developers in making thoughtful, accountable choices that lead to scalable, secure, and supportable solutions that evolve with business needs.

To complement this post, I’ve created a short video that walks through these principles. You can watch it here:

Here’s a quick overview of the principles:

Establish a decision-making model

Create structure in your architecture. Identify key decisions early, weigh trade-offs, validate ideas, and document the reasoning to ensure clarity and alignment.

Apply proven design patterns

Use patterns that reduce risk, speed up delivery, and help create consistent, reliable solutions aligned with platform best practices.

Design with future change in mind

Anticipate growth, regulatory shifts, and platform evolution. A flexible design avoids costly rework and keeps solutions aligned with business goals.

Prioritize supportability

Design solutions that are easy to monitor, troubleshoot, and maintain. This improves resilience and reduces operational risk.

Continuously sharpen your expertise

Stay current with certifications, training, and hands-on exploration to deliver modern, effective designs.

Collaborate and seek review

Engage peers, partners, and operations teams to strengthen ideas through shared insight and collective expertise.

Adopt a methodical approach

Combine frameworks, checklists, diagrams, and decision records to document choices and deliver intentional, high-quality solutions.

If you’d like to explore these principles in greater detail, the full documentation and supporting resources are available on my architectural library site:

https://architecture.buildittherightway.com/design-decisions/design-decision-principles

I’d love to hear how you apply these principles in your ServiceNow projects. Share your thoughts, approaches, or questions in the comments. Let’s build it the right way.