Which law states that the design of a system reflects the communication structure of the organization that built it?

• A. Putt's Law
• B. Illich's Law
• C. Conway's Law
• D. Laborit's Law

Answer: (C)

Conway's Law says the design of a system tends to mirror the communication structure of the organization that built it. In practice, the way teams talk, coordinate, and hand off work shapes where modules sit, how they interface, and how dependencies flow. If teams are split by strict silos with little cross-team collaboration, the system often ends up with tightly coupled components and interfaces that line up with those silos. When teams are organized around features and collaborate more, the architecture tends to become more modular with clearer boundaries and API points that reflect those working relationships. So, the law explains why reorganizing teams or changing communication patterns can lead to different system designs over time. The other laws describe different ideas about technology, society, or behavior, not this specific link between how people within an organization communicate and how the system is built.