Rick Kazman and Amnon Eden's "Defining the Terms Architecture, Design, and Implementation" and "Architecture, Design and Implementation" provide a distinction based on Intension and Locality criteria.
Rick and Amnon argue that
- Architectural specifications are intensional and non-local
- Design specifications are intensional but local
- Implementation specifications are both extensional and local
They demonstrate that:
- Architectural styles are intensional and non-local
- Design patterns are intensional and local
- Implementations are extensional and local
A must read for architects and designers.