Blog
Perspectives on architecture, delivery, and working in public service technology. Honest, practical, and occasionally opinionated.
Why Architecture Decisions Are Not Technical Problems
The biggest mistake new architects make is treating every decision as a technical one. Most architecture decisions are actually about people, politics, and priorities. Here's how to recognise the difference.
The Architecture Role Nobody Prepared You For
When you move from development into architecture, nobody tells you that half your job is now about influence, not implementation. The technical skills that got you here aren't the ones that will make you effective.
Architecture in Discovery: Less Is More
Discovery isn't the time for solution design. It's the time for understanding. Here's what architects should actually be doing in discovery — and what they should resist doing.
ADRs: The Most Underused Tool in Architecture
Architecture Decision Records take five minutes to write and save hours of confusion later. Why most teams don't use them, and how to make them stick.
Cloud First Doesn't Mean Cloud Only
The UK government's Cloud First policy is often misunderstood. It doesn't mean everything must be in the cloud. It means cloud should be the default — and you need good reasons to deviate.
Making Architecture Governance Actually Useful
Architecture governance has a reputation problem. Too often it's seen as a gate that slows delivery. Here's how to make it a service that accelerates good decisions.