Source: [Systems, software and applied AI.](https://treenodes.com/articles/) This Markdown version is generated from the public page. Visit the source for interactive examples and full-size visuals. WRITING # Systems, software and applied AI. Architecture decisions, practical guides and examples you can try. Sort [ LATEST 16 September 2026 Systems design Worksheet included ## Jira and Confluence: From a Business Question to a Working Feature Follow the work. Make its logic visible. Three scenarios connect a map of current operations to shared decisions, scoped Jira work and validation. Read 25 min read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/jira-confluence-business-question-to-working-feature/) [ 9 September 2026 Systems design 6 min read Quick check included ## What is software architecture? How a system’s parts fit together, why the design matters, and how to think about the choices behind it. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/what-is-software-architecture/)[ 7 September 2026 Systems design 8 min read Prompt included ## If AI can build the software, what is the architect for? A convincing portal demo leaves important decisions open. Follow a delivery-change request to see how architecture connects business rules, system ownership and recovery when AI helps build the software. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/if-ai-can-build-software-what-is-the-architect-for/)[ 6 September 2026 Applied AI 13 min read Prompts included ## How AI systems fit together LLMs, RAG, fine-tuning, workflows, agents, MCP and WebMCP: what each contributes, when to use it, and how to combine them in a working system. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/how-ai-systems-fit-together/)[ 5 September 2026 Applied AI 13 min read Prompts included ## What is Astra, and when would I use it? Where OpenAI’s Astra fits in architecture and delivery: compare models and pricing, then work through a booking-system migration as the requirements change. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/astra-and-the-moment-the-brief-changes/)[ 25 August 2026 Systems design 15 min read Code included ## The exception path is the real workflow An invoice needs approval. A reviewer is away. A payment times out. Each needs a different next step. Here is how to design for those cases. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/the-exception-path-is-the-real-workflow/)[ 23 August 2026 Systems design 10 min read Worksheet included ## The person missing from the diagram The diagram shows a handoff. Someone still has to chase it, check it and make it happen. How to design for the human work your system depends on. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/the-person-missing-from-the-diagram/)[ 23 August 2026 Systems design 11 min read Data + prompt included ## What the spreadsheet knows that the system does not The new system is live. Why does the team still need a spreadsheet? Look at its columns, formulas and workarounds before deciding what to replace. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/what-the-spreadsheet-knows-that-the-system-does-not/)[ 22 August 2026 Computer fundamentals 16 min read Commands included ## What happens when you press a computer’s power button? From the first light to the login screen: how power, firmware and the operating system bring a computer to life, and where startup can stop. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/what-happens-when-you-press-the-power-button/)[ 13 August 2026 Systems design 25 min read Code + prompt included ## The C4 model: architecture at the right level Explain a software system without putting everything on one diagram. A practical guide to C4 views, examples, AI-assisted documentation and tools. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/c4-model-software-architecture/)[ 10 August 2026 Applied AI 6 min read File + prompt included ## Give AI agents a design reference “Make it look modern” leaves too much to guess. Give your coding agent the colours, type, spacing and component rules it needs to build consistently. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/design-references-for-ai-agents/)[ 5 August 2026 Approach 3 min read Worksheet included ## Kaizen, applied to software A small daily workaround can waste hours over time. How to spot one, try a manageable improvement and check whether it actually helped. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/kaizen-and-software/)[ 22 July 2026 Systems design 5 min read Prompt included ## Modelling the system before the code Sales, Finance and Fulfilment may mean different things by “order”. Find those differences before they become database fields and API rules. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/modelling-the-system-before-the-code/)[ 18 June 2026 Applied AI 5 min read Prompt + schema included ## Giving AI a job description Before AI reads an invoice or drafts a reply, decide what it should do when it gets stuck. Define the task, the review and the fallback. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/giving-ai-a-job-description/)[ 12 May 2026 Approach 11 min read Prompt included ## Software should follow the business Follow one order, invoice or client request from start to finish. The waits, decisions and workarounds tell you what the software needs to support. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/software-should-follow-the-business/) No articles match that.