We discuss the architecture and design principles that underpin the latest version of SKIRT, a state-of-the-art open source code for simulating continuum radiation transfer in dusty astrophysical systems, such as spiral galaxies and accretion disks. SKIRT employs the Monte Carlo technique to emulate the relevant physical processes including scattering, absorption and emission by the dust. The code features a wealth of built-in geometries, radiation source spectra, dust characterizations, dust grids, and detectors, in addition to various mechanisms for importing snapshots generated by hydrodynamical simulations. The configuration for a particular simulation is defined at run-time through a user-friendly interface suitable for both occasional and power users. These capabilities are enabled by careful C++ code design. The programming interfaces between components are well defined and narrow. Adding a new feature is usually as simple as adding another class; the user interface automatically adjusts to allow configuring the new options. We argue that many scientific codes, like SKIRT, can benefit from careful object-oriented design and from a friendly user interface, even if it is not a graphical user interface. ; Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Computing; the SKIRT source code and manual are publicly available, respectively at https://github.com/skirt/skirt and http://www.skirt.ugent.be