Deep Dive Series 2020 – Part 2 of 3: Adaptive Frameworks and Design Thinking

July 2020   |   Reading Time: 9 minutes

In the wake of sudden, unrelenting change brought by 2020, IT architects found themselves reassessing assumptions across systems, policies, and user behaviors. This second installment in our deep dive series explores how adaptive frameworks and design thinking evolved as strategic tools during one of the most disruptive years for enterprise IT.

Understanding Adaptive Frameworks

Adaptive frameworks are not a product or rigid methodology — they are an architectural stance. In times of unpredictability, like a global pandemic, architectures that tolerate ambiguity and adjust rapidly to shifting priorities offer tangible business value.

Architects looked toward lightweight governance, composable services, declarative configurations, and modular deployments. Organizations began implementing hybrid operational patterns — blending traditional ITSM processes with DevOps, and stabilizing them with SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) concepts to improve observability and error budgets.

Design Thinking in Architectural Context

Design thinking is often misconstrued as just a UI/UX discipline. However, in 2020, architecture teams embraced design thinking to better empathize with users, operations teams, and business stakeholders. They built personas not only for customers but for internal users who were working from home, shifting devices, or requiring new access paths.

Rapid prototyping, iterative feedback loops, and visual mapping tools (such as user journey maps and service blueprints) allowed architects to prioritize value and avoid wasted effort on speculative designs.

Strategic Shifts That Emerged

• Policy-as-Code: Enabled distributed enforcement of security and compliance policies as infrastructure boundaries expanded rapidly.
• Infrastructure Abstraction: Cloud-native thinking prevailed, but not everything moved to cloud. Many used abstraction layers to normalize across hybrid environments.
• Remote-Centric Workflows: Architecture began to adapt more intentionally to remote collaboration, with solutions designed to be digitally native first.

Revisiting Assumptions

Assumptions around network perimeters, synchronous communications, endpoint configurations, and deployment frequency were all challenged. Frameworks like SAFe and TOGAF saw revised application strategies with more localized autonomy and federated governance models taking root in response.

The success of these shifts depended less on technology and more on cultural alignment. Adaptive frameworks don’t survive without executive sponsorship and a willingness to decentralize decisions.

Examples in Practice

Several organizations implemented cross-functional swarming teams, where product owners, security analysts, and infrastructure engineers co-designed solutions in short cycles. Frameworks were visualized on Miro or Lucidchart, then validated through low-code prototyping platforms like OutSystems or internal developer platforms (IDPs).

Monitoring setups moved beyond classic dashboards — architectural visualizations were enriched with telemetry to show real-time flow, dependency changes, and latency spikes. Architecture became a dynamic participant in incident response, not a passive diagram.

Where It’s Headed

In 2021 and beyond, the lessons from 2020’s architectural recalibration shape future frameworks. Organizations that responded with flexibility now embed design thinking in their IT governance and cultivate adaptive capabilities in their enterprise architecture maturity assessments.

This shift to agility at the architectural layer is no longer an innovation differentiator — it’s becoming table stakes.

This is Part 2 of a 3-part deep dive series for 2020.

• Part 1: From Chaos to Continuity: The Architectural Shockwave of 2020
• Part 2: Adaptive Frameworks and Design Thinking (you are here)
• Part 3: Designing for the Unknown: Lessons in Resilience (coming next)

Eduardo Wnorowski is a network infrastructure consultant and Director.
With over 25 years of experience in IT and consulting, he helps organizations maintain stable and secure environments through proactive auditing, optimization, and strategic guidance.
LinkedIn Profile

Adapting IT Operations for Ongoing Remote Work Realities

July, 2020 • 8 min read

Introduction

The sudden shift to remote work in early 2020 caught many organizations off guard. By mid-year, it became clear that remote work was not just a temporary contingency plan but a long-term shift in how businesses operate. IT departments have had to quickly pivot, re-evaluate priorities, and develop new strategies to support distributed teams securely and effectively.

Remote Work as the New Norm

What began as an emergency response has now evolved into an accepted model of work. Organizations are rethinking their digital workplace strategies, and IT operations teams are being challenged to maintain productivity, security, and user experience across countless home environments. This transformation demands a recalibration of tools, policies, and support mechanisms.

Key Operational Shifts

Several major shifts have defined the new approach to IT operations:

• Decentralized Device Management: Endpoint management must now occur over the internet, with increased reliance on cloud-native solutions for patching, configuration, and monitoring.
• Enhanced Collaboration Stack: Support for unified communications, video conferencing, and shared document platforms has become essential for day-to-day operations.
• 24/7 Support Models: With teams spread across geographies and time zones, IT support desks have adopted more asynchronous and self-service approaches.

Security Considerations

Security concerns have grown more complex. With traditional perimeter defenses diminished, IT must secure endpoints, enforce strong identity controls, and monitor anomalous behavior in real time. Zero Trust principles are gaining wider traction, even in SMBs.

Policy Adjustments and Governance

Organizations are updating policies related to acceptable use, bring-your-own-device (BYOD), and remote access. IT leaders are also redefining compliance boundaries, ensuring that remote operations still align with regulatory standards and audit requirements.

Supporting the Remote Workforce

Effective IT support now requires empathy and flexibility. Technicians must handle a broader range of personal device issues, unreliable home networks, and user training. Strong documentation, remote diagnostics, and simple communication are more critical than ever.

Metrics and Monitoring

Traditional metrics tied to office infrastructure no longer apply. IT operations are now measured by uptime of SaaS platforms, ticket resolution time, VPN reliability, and employee satisfaction with IT services. Dashboards must evolve to reflect these new realities.

Preparing for the Long Haul

Forward-looking IT departments are treating this transition as permanent. They're investing in platform-based operations, modern endpoint management tools, automated workflows, and robust cloud-based security layers. Those who adapt quickly are gaining competitive advantages in agility and employee satisfaction.

Eduardo Wnorowski is a network infrastructure consultant and Director.
With over 25 years of experience in IT and consulting, he helps organizations maintain stable and secure environments through proactive auditing, optimization, and strategic guidance.
LinkedIn Profile