Source: [Nermien Barakat](https://treenodes.com/articles/by/nermien-barakat/) This Markdown version is generated from the public page. Visit the source for interactive examples and full-size visuals. [All writing](https://treenodes.com/articles/) AUTHOR # Nermien Barakat Principal Software Architect & Engineer | Web & Mobile Applications | Business Systems & Applied AI [LinkedIn profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nermienbarakat/) I’m a principal software architect and engineer, and the person behind TreeNodes. I work with individuals, teams and businesses to understand their needs, map their workflows, design the architecture and build the software. My work covers web and mobile applications, business systems and applied AI, from early exploration through development, ongoing support and improvements informed by real use. I enjoy taking a new idea, working through the details and turning it into software people can use. I believe software should follow the business, not the other way around. I care about the details, the exceptions and staying with a problem until it makes sense. That understanding belongs in the software we build. Over nearly twenty years, I’ve worked on software and digital projects across healthcare and life sciences, education, construction, facilities services, retail and e-commerce, real estate, legal and professional services, arts, sports and community platforms. Each field brings its own language, responsibilities and ways of working. Understanding those differences is part of the work. My background spans biochemistry, environmental science, GIS and remote sensing, computing and artificial intelligence. My early work included JavaScript programming, games and environmental GIS. That background still shapes how I approach a new problem: asking questions, looking at how the parts relate and paying attention to what a simple explanation might miss. Alongside building software, I write about software architecture, philosophy, systems and the practical decisions involved in working with AI. I enjoy exploring ideas, sharing what I’m learning and hearing how others approach the same questions. ## WRITING **16** articles · Latest **22 September 2026** Sort [ LATEST 22 September 2026 Applied AI Prompt included ## Skills, MCP, RAG and Memory: How an AI Agent Investigates a 500 Error A post will not publish. Follow one 500 error from the server logs to a missing database update, and see how skills, MCP, RAG and memory support the investigation. Read 6 min read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/skills-mcp-rag-memory-500-error/) [ 16 September 2026 Systems design 25 min read Worksheet included ## Jira and Confluence: From a Business Question to a Working Feature Follow the work. Make its logic visible. Three scenarios connect a map of current operations to shared decisions, scoped Jira work and validation. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/jira-confluence-business-question-to-working-feature/)[ 9 September 2026 Systems design 6 min read Quick check included ## What is software architecture? How a system’s parts fit together, why the design matters, and how to think about the choices behind it. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/what-is-software-architecture/)[ 7 September 2026 Systems design 8 min read Prompt included ## If AI can build the software, what is the architect for? A convincing portal demo leaves important decisions open. Follow a delivery-change request to see how architecture connects business rules, system ownership and recovery when AI helps build the software. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/if-ai-can-build-software-what-is-the-architect-for/)[ 6 September 2026 Applied AI 13 min read Prompts included ## How AI systems fit together LLMs, RAG, fine-tuning, workflows, agents, MCP and WebMCP: what each contributes, when to use it, and how to combine them in a working system. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/how-ai-systems-fit-together/)[ 5 September 2026 Applied AI 13 min read Prompts included ## What is Astra, and when would I use it? Where OpenAI’s Astra fits in architecture and delivery: compare models and pricing, then work through a booking-system migration as the requirements change. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/astra-and-the-moment-the-brief-changes/)[ 25 August 2026 Systems design 15 min read Code included ## The exception path is the real workflow An invoice needs approval. A reviewer is away. A payment times out. Each needs a different next step. Here is how to design for those cases. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/the-exception-path-is-the-real-workflow/)[ 23 August 2026 Systems design 10 min read Worksheet included ## The person missing from the diagram The diagram shows a handoff. Someone still has to chase it, check it and make it happen. How to design for the human work your system depends on. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/the-person-missing-from-the-diagram/)[ 23 August 2026 Systems design 11 min read Data + prompt included ## What the spreadsheet knows that the system does not The new system is live. Why does the team still need a spreadsheet? Look at its columns, formulas and workarounds before deciding what to replace. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/what-the-spreadsheet-knows-that-the-system-does-not/)[ 22 August 2026 Computer fundamentals 16 min read Commands included ## What happens when you press a computer’s power button? From the first light to the login screen: how power, firmware and the operating system bring a computer to life, and where startup can stop. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/what-happens-when-you-press-the-power-button/)[ 13 August 2026 Systems design 25 min read Code + prompt included ## The C4 model: architecture at the right level Explain a software system without putting everything on one diagram. A practical guide to C4 views, examples, AI-assisted documentation and tools. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/c4-model-software-architecture/)[ 10 August 2026 Applied AI 6 min read File + prompt included ## Give AI agents a design reference “Make it look modern” leaves too much to guess. Give your coding agent the colours, type, spacing and component rules it needs to build consistently. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/design-references-for-ai-agents/)[ 5 August 2026 Approach 3 min read Worksheet included ## Kaizen, applied to software A small daily workaround can waste hours over time. How to spot one, try a manageable improvement and check whether it actually helped. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/kaizen-and-software/)[ 22 July 2026 Systems design 5 min read Prompt included ## Modelling the system before the code Sales, Finance and Fulfilment may mean different things by “order”. Find those differences before they become database fields and API rules. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/modelling-the-system-before-the-code/)[ 18 June 2026 Applied AI 5 min read Prompt + schema included ## Giving AI a job description Before AI reads an invoice or drafts a reply, decide what it should do when it gets stuck. Define the task, the review and the fallback. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/giving-ai-a-job-description/)[ 12 May 2026 Approach 11 min read Prompt included ## Software should follow the business Follow one order, invoice or client request from start to finish. The waits, decisions and workarounds tell you what the software needs to support. Read ](https://treenodes.com/articles/software-should-follow-the-business/) No articles match that. ## NOTES [All notes](https://treenodes.com/notes/) - [AI won’t fix a mess. It makes more mess. Applied AI · 2 October 2026](https://treenodes.com/notes/ai-will-not-fix-a-messy-process/) SOUND LIKE YOUR WEEK? ## Working through one of these problems yourself? [Discuss a project](https://treenodes.com/contact/)