top of page


A personal blog addressing software quality across all aspects of software development, testing, design, and people.
Search


The Testing Impact of Architecture in LLM-Powered Applications
In my previous post , we explored the big changes required in architecture to make LLMs successful. As those who are familiar with me will know that quality and testing are vital aspects of software architecture to me. So, I feel like I wouldn’t be able to explore the topic of software architecture without aspects of testing and quality. Testing and QA Must Be Built Into Architecture In classical software engineering – at least at a fundamental code level - testing often tend
Craig Risi
9 hours ago7 min read


The Architecture of LLM-Powered Applications: How It Differs from Conventional Software Architecture
As I’ve already explored in my previous articles, LLM-powered applications are having a big impact on the way we think about software development. With this rapid acceleration into AI adoption, many companies and teams are discovering that building applications powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) feels nothing like building traditional software. The patterns are different, the risks are different, and so are the architectural decisions. LLMs introduce new forms of compl
Craig Risi
Nov 217 min read


Preparing Your Data for LLM Applications
Large Language Models (LLMs) are only as good as the data that shapes them. Whether you’re fine-tuning a model for domain-specific use or building an LLM-powered application from scratch, data readiness is the single biggest factor influencing performance, reliability, and ethical outcomes. As the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out” - but with LLMs, the cost of poor data goes beyond technical glitches; it can lead to bias, misinformation, and loss of trust. In this post,
Craig Risi
Oct 318 min read


Building Quality into LLMs through Testing and Observability
In the previous blog post, we explored how LLMs are changing the way we develop software and how we need to think differently about data, engineering, and architecture to cater to them. In this second part, I will explore testing, observability, and the related aspects of ethics a little further. And when it comes to LLM-powered applications, testing is certainly not second fiddle. In fact, it could be argued that it is even more important than in traditional software develo
Craig Risi
Oct 177 min read


Building Quality in LLM-powered applications
While I’ve written on AI many times, I do often resist writing on the topic because I fear it is often overplayed and somewhat of a potential tech bubble. It won’t be going away, though, and even if its impact wanes, we still need to learn how to test and build quality around it. Especially in the realm of LLMs, which have had the largest impact on software development, both in how we create software and the types of solutions we can solve. Large language models (LLMs) like G
Craig Risi
Oct 37 min read


Measuring and Enabling Change Communication: From Insights to Impact
I’ve spent the past two blog posts talking about the importance of change communication , particularly the transparency required to...
Craig Risi
Sep 195 min read


Communicating Change: Cadence, Transparency, and Engagement Matter
In my previous blog post I spoke about change management and why communication is the most important part of managing change. Change in...
Craig Risi
Sep 54 min read


Introducing Another New Book - A Guide to Test Automation Architecture
A few months ago, I shared the news that I had published a new book. What I didn’t mention at the time is that I was actually working on...
Craig Risi
Aug 262 min read


The Communication of Change
Why Change Communication Matters More Than Ever I’m going to change tack a little and move away from some of my technical articles and...
Craig Risi
Aug 225 min read


Continuous Compliance: Turning Audits Into Automation
When it comes to application security , compliance can often feel like a roadblock: a slow, manual process that lags behind the pace of...
Craig Risi
Aug 83 min read
bottom of page