Loosely Coupled: Is Software Design Still Relevant?

I was a guest in Karol Skrzymowski’s podcast “Loosely Coupled”, together with Martin Fowler, Xin Yao, and Andrew Harmel-Law. It was recorded live at DDD Europe 2026 in Antwerp.

Abstract

Is design still relevant in the age of AI? Is AI capable of replacing domain experts, architects, and developers? Where are the limits? How do the promises of companies providing us with Large Language Models hold up to the reality of software design and development? We’re talking about the future of business-aligned software design and tackling complexity at the heart of software! Is design dead, or more relevant than ever before?