An architect essentially translates user needs into a system architecture that corresponds to these needs. A good architect is both a skilled requirements analyst and an IT system designer. But what is most important is her or his ability to develop a trust relationship with the user and always act on behalf of this user. The late Cutter Business Technology Council Fellow Peter O'Farrell once told me that being a great consultant is not about immediately having all the answers that your client needs -- it is really about being someone whom the client can trust. If we think of an architect the same way, then the difference between architecture (or architect) and the design (or a designer) becomes quite obvious and distinct.

-- Dr. Bartosz Kiepuszewski, Senior Consultant, Cutter Consortium