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Understanding API First Design

For organizations, the process of starting an API journey often begins with the initial planning and analysis phase of the API lifecycle. During this time, questions around your vision and strategy for the API will be answered. The next step for an organization is to begin designing the API.

ProgrammableWeb advocates for an API-first design methodology. This involves consulting with stakeholders to collaboratively design an API before determining and developing the various channels and applications that will use the API. This clean-room approach to design gives little consideration for the existing IT estate and allows the team to design an API as if there weren’t any constraints. The idea is to bend the IT estate towards the API instead of the other way around.

One benefit to this approach is that organizations get valuable feedback in the early stages of design, which helps with developing a service that delivers value to an API’s eventual consumers. Another benefit is that consistency is enforced across interfaces, a critical consideration is given the range of devices that will potentially consume the API.

In this nine-part series, ProgrammableWeb offers you a look at what makes API-first such a powerful design methodology. The articles will discuss best practices for implementing API-first design within your organization as well as real-world use cases.