Fourth part of Dragon1
Dragon1 ‘Way of Supporting’ discusses the fourth component of the visual enterprise architecture method Dragon1. The ‘way of supporting’ focuses on helping the architect, manager, and the company work efficiently and qualitatively with visual enterprise architecture.
The ‘way of supporting’ makes the theory offered in Dragon1 practically applicable with tools in the method and tools created based on the method. All these tools have been created based on a practical application of parts of Dragon1.
Working with the tools from the ‘way of supporting’ increases the quality of the produced architecture products and accelerates. The tools offer structure, approach, and quality so the user can concentrate on the content.
Way of Supporting Framework
The Dragon1 ‘Way of Supporting’ can be described as a whole with an architecture framework. The framework consists of four ‘way of supporting’ concepts. The ‘way of supporting’ mainly concerns the question: how is the architect optimally supported when creating architecture designs and drawing up the architectures? The ‘way of supporting’ provides the architect with symbols, notation, conceptual framework, example posters, templates, checklists, reference maps, certification, and software tools.
The Way of Thinking Framework shows the most important concepts that are part of the way of supporting the method.
Architecture Language
The concept ‘Architecture Language’ initially addresses the conceptual framework, the symbol set, and the open standards that make up Dragon1. This concept describes how Dragon1 deals with its definitions for concepts and offers a helping hand for the architect to expand his conceptual framework and that of his design assignment.
Secondly, the concept deals with how architects prefer to deal with their symbols in visualizations. There is a strong relationship between the definition of concepts and the shapes used as symbols for them. The architect will also often have to recognize new symbols for new concepts.
Thirdly, the open standards that make up Dragon1 are discussed. These open standards use Dragon1's concepts and symbols and offer a practical approach for creating architecture products following the Dragon1 theory.
Digital Checklists & Document Templates
The concept of ‘Checklists & Document templates’ is discussed in this paragraph. This concept is about how the architect preferably produces several essential architectural products, in terms of a step-by-step plan and structure. This concept ensures that the architect can embed and adapt their own way of working in Dragon1. The more an architect realizes what he is doing, the more control he has over it. We focus on checklists and document templates because the architect can now discuss and communicate with their client and colleagues early on what is being done and made.
Digital Tools
The concept of ‘Dragon1-based tools’ is a helping hand from experienced users of the method to new users. With examples based on practice, website, foundation, training, books, and user groups, much information, knowledge, and expertise are now made available by users to users.
Organization around Dragon1
The concept ‘Organization around Dragon1’ is the fourth concept from the ‘way of supporting’ and concerns how consultation, management, maintenance, and further development take place. Dragon1 stands as an open method with the quality and practical applicability that it has. To keep the quality and practical applicability of the method high, a foundation and user association have been started around the Dragon1 method. There is the possibility of certification and accreditation.