What Photography Taught Me About Government IT Architecture
Through my lens, I see the complete picture: the foundation, the structure, the details, and how it all connects to serve the people.
But here’s what 23+ years of enterprise architecture has taught me: Most IT projects fail because we focus on individual components instead of the whole system.
When I approach a modernization project, I apply the same principles I use in photography:
Understand the foundation first – What legacy systems are we building on? Are they solid enough to support transformation?
Frame the complete scope – Not just the database or the API, but how citizens, workers, and administrators will interact with the entire ecosystem
Balance all elements – Technical requirements, regulatory compliance, user experience, and budget constraints must work in harmony
Focus on what matters most – Like adjusting depth of field, we highlight critical integrations while ensuring supporting systems don’t blur into chaos
The result? At my recent state healthcare project, this holistic approach delivered $5M in annual savings and seamless integration across integrating multiple modules.
The lesson: Before you architect the solution, make sure you’re seeing the complete picture through the right lens.
CTA: What frameworks do you use to ensure you’re capturing the full scope before diving into implementation?
