Frontend architecture is a collection of techniques and technologies that improve the code quality of your application. Additionally, it enables you to develop a productive, scalable, and sustainable workflow. By redesigning frontend architecture, you can provide users with an engaging navigation experience by developing sustainable workflow and process-driven applications.

What is frontend architecture, and how does it differ from backend architecture?

Frontend architecture is a set of methods and tools that help you write better code. A productive, scalable, and sustainable workflow is also possible.

Consider building a house. Architects start by designing the home’s structure and layout. Then comes the labor-intensive task of constructing the brick-and-mortar foundation.

Similarly, frontend architects offer a framework for frontend developers to write on. It may also be used as a benchmark for evaluating code. So, you get a fantastic user experience, no customer complaints, and quicker production of high-quality software solutions.

How to do a thorough re-evaluation of your frontend architecture?

The following procedures are included in our thoughts for re-evaluating your front-end architecture.

1. Evaluate your web application

It may be tempting to rush in and make drastic changes to your architecture. However, before you commit to this ‘next major step,’ it is critical that you handle the following four critical parameters:

• Performance:

Do you wish to improve your initial rendering performance, or do you need code-splitting capabilities to improve your Lighthouse scores?

• Maintainability:

Are you having problems with the server and client using different template syntaxes? Do you want simplicity and clarity to enhance your development experience?

• Testing:

Do you need established testing procedures and a frontend testing strategy for your architecture?

• Accessibility:

Is your code accessible to users of varying abilities?

2. Collect data from the actual world

It’s usually prudent to research real-world examples that correspond to your business case. You may examine the technical details, associated hazards, and performance statistics to ensure that you cover all bases in terms of performance and validation of your design. This also enables you to establish appropriate thresholds and expectations.

3. While weighing your choices, maintain an agnostic attitude toward technology.

It would help if you now had a better grasp of new client-side architectural concepts. So now it’s time to weigh your options and pick the best match for you.

Some remarkable frameworks to consider are Angular, React, Vue, and Svelte. Create a prototype application in each framework to discover which one best suits your goals and requirements. More importantly, if you work in frontend development, this may be easy.

4. Inquire of your primary stakeholders, product representatives, and project managers.

Get input from all application stakeholders and product and project managers regarding end-user issues and product development life cycles before re-architecting. Moreover, this will provide you with a holistic view of the frontend makeover and reveal any potential stumbling blocks. After a thorough review, optimize your frontend architecture. Finally, let us share some frontend architectural redesign best practices.

What might be done to enhance the design of your frontend architecture?

Adopt a domain-driven design approach using micro frontends. Micro frontend design allows you to break up your application into more minor apps.

This speeds up development and increases scalability by having several teams working on different parts of the system. It also lowers development effort since micro frontend changes do not affect the overall program performance.

Simple large programs may be simplified using domain-driven design and a micro frontend. Moreover, data and events interact directly inside the app components, removing extra complexity and issues.

1. Engineer your frontend using a component-based design.

For example, React, and Angular utilize component-based design to isolate features and reuse them across modules. It also allows the animations and transitions required by modern apps.

You may also create single components by providing characteristics. Large, dynamic applications like Instagram utilize the model-view-view-model design to reuse and modify components globally.

2. Utilize continuous integration/continuous delivery to decrease frontend build time

Managing many releases and upgrades within a single organization is difficult when building large systems. It provides consistency across application modules and applications, which is critical in microservices and component-based architectures. Moreover, implement a continuous delivery process that allows teams to deploy high-quality codebases more often.

3. Make CI/CD work for you

Use NPM and parallel web packs to handle parallelism and speed upbuilds. Use industry-standard infrastructure for components like Bit to speed up application delivery. Set up an isolated development environment where you can control and execute components throughout the build and run stages of your projects.

Improve the loaders’ performance. You may block module loading by specifying proper file directories. Utilize the Design Language System to establish a contract between the user experience, engineering, and product teams.

4. Code refactoring

Refactor complex and inflexible code to reduce technical debt. Tight deadlines often cause this degree of complexity. Keeping the code tidy from the start reduces iterations and makes modifications easier.

Good read: code refactoring in agile

Wrapping Up

A good frontend architecture starts with a decent design. Redesigning frontend architecture to maximize code reuse, maintainability, and consistency speeds up future app development. Moreover, customers benefit from easier access and faster feature upgrades. Pinterest, for example, experienced a substantial increase in active users after developing a PWA app.

For a detailed analysis of your existing frontend architecture contact us today and get a free consultation.