⚡️ TL;DR
Get started with the C4 model with these ✋ helpful resources:
- C4 model website
- Video: Visualising software architecture with the C4 model
- Architecture Kata Log submissions
- Spotify: Software Visualization — Challenge, Accepted
- Collection of threads from the software architecture community
🗺️ C4 model website
This is Simon Brown’s definitive website on the C4 model. It’s the place to start if you’re starting from step 0. It’s easy to follow, has plenty of examples, and is comprehensive. Simon’s ‘Maps of your code’ metaphor is a useful way to think about the C4 model.
🎥 Visualising software architecture with the C4 model
If you prefer to watch instead of read, there are plenty of videos on YouTube (mainly from Simon Brown 😅). We recommend this talk he gave at Agile on the Beach in 2019. It’s a fun and straight-to-the-point talk about the value of the C4 model. You’ll learn a lot in 35 minutes.
🎶 Spotify: Software Visualization — Challenge, Accepted
The Spotify engineering team published an article in 2022 on how they adapted the C4 model with their internal Spotify System model. Like most things, there are no hard rules on how you should use the C4 model. The beauty of the C4 model is that it’s simple and flexible enough to adapt to your unique team needs.
🎖️ Architecture Kata Log
O’Reilly organizes several Architecture Katas every year hosted by Neal Ford, Mark Richards, and judged by Jacqui Read. Architecture Katas are competitions that bring together architects worldwide to share ideas and solve architectural problems.
If you’re looking for more concrete examples of C4 model diagrams, we recommend browsing through past entries. You can view submissions from 2020.
🌐 Online communities
If you want to get on-the-ground thoughts and conversations on the C4 model, we recommend checking out a few threads on Reddit and Hacker News from the software community. Here are a few that we found helpful:
- Reddit: Seeking insights on the C4 model for software architecture
- Reddit: The C4 model for software architecture
- Hacker News: Devs need system design tools, not diagramming tools
- Hacker News: The C4 model for visualizing software architecture (2017)
🏁 Final thoughts
Learning a new modelling language can be daunting, but the C4 model is a simple methodology that can be learned fairly quickly. Take a look at these resources to get started, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you need a hand (support@icepanel.io).
