Do I Have a Big Ball of Mud?

SlicesDo dependencies mostly stay inside their own business area?

Yes, integration points and directions are understandable.Mostly, with a few explainable exceptions.Rarely, there are many cross-links.No, essentially every area knows every other.I don't know for sure – I'd have to check.

LayersCan you predict where business rules, UI state, orchestration and infrastructure live?

Dependency DirectionDo dependencies between modules have a recognizable, mostly acyclic direction?

Yes.Mostly, a few known and bounded cycles exist.There are larger cyclic areas.No, direction is barely recognizable.I don't know for sure – never analyzed it.

Locality of ReasoningIs local knowledge enough to explain a small business flow?

Yes, usually.Mostly.I often need much more context than expected.Almost never, I keep ending up elsewhere.I don't know for sure – varies a lot by area.

Locality of ChangeDo small business changes stay technically small?

Yes, usually.Mostly.They often spread further than expected.Almost never, small tickets regularly grow large.I don't know for sure – too inconsistent.

Gravitational CentersAre central building blocks (global services, base classes, stores) central because of one clear responsibility?

Yes, their centrality is clearly justified.Mostly.More of a collection point for various things.No, that's where anything without another home ends up.I don't know for sure.

OwnershipIs it clear who owns a business decision and who merely consumes it?

Visible vs. Effective ArchitectureDoes the architecture diagram or folder structure explain how the system actually works?

Yes, largely.Mostly, with known deviations.Rarely, there are many "exceptions".No, the diagram describes more of an aspiration.I don't know for sure – there is no current diagram.

Do I Have a Big Ball of Mud?

What your answers suggest

Results by dimension

Particularly notable red flags

Questions worth sitting with

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