A six-module hybrid framework for designing systems, programs, and community infrastructure that actually work in the real world.
The Sources Architecture Method™ blends systems architecture with community engagement. Each module can stand alone or be combined into a full transformation, depending on what an organization needs — and what the constraints allow.
This module uncovers the landscape you're designing within — stakeholders, workflows, culture, digital access, and power dynamics.
Outputs: Ecosystem map, stakeholder matrix, trust/friction map.
At Southwest Airlines I was brought in to fix three warring QA teams. The real problem wasn't process, it was a company reorg nobody had mentioned. Reading the actual stakeholder landscape before touching the workflow is what let both teams keep their jobs.
Constraints become design parameters. This module identifies the limits that shape what is possible — so you design within reality, not around it.
Outputs: Constraint inventory, risk map, design boundaries.
Before recommending any CRM or tool, I start with what a client is already doing manually: a notepad, a spreadsheet. The manual version reveals the real constraints before anyone spends money on software that gets abandoned in three months.
This module reveals the hidden architecture of the system — what relies on what, and what breaks if one piece fails.
Outputs: Dependency map, critical path diagram, failure analysis.
At ThoughtWorks I noticed Quality Analysts had no shared documentation while developers had coaches and learning platforms. I built the knowledge base myself. It became the org's unofficial onboarding system and helped surface an org-wide salary reclassification.
Where complexity becomes clarity. This module designs the workflows, roles, and decision trees that make the system function day to day.
Outputs: Workflow diagrams, SOPs, decision trees.
I built a simple exercise for clients: tool, content, frequency, audience, payment, and follow-up, one row per channel they use to reach people. Most people find their real bottleneck in the first ten minutes of filling it out.
This module turns design into action through phased rollouts, pilots, training, and documentation that people can actually use.
Outputs: Implementation roadmap, pilot plan, training scripts.
A free digital literacy workshop with one Chicago community organization turned into a phased, paid engagement now in its fourth year. The pathway worked because it started small enough to prove value before either side committed to a contract.
The long-term layer. This module ensures the system can run without you — and evolve over time as conditions change.
Outputs: Sustainability plan, governance model, maintenance schedule.
Every workshop session gets logged: what landed, what confused people, what needs follow-up. That feedback loop is what keeps a program running well after the first cohort, without needing me in the room forever.
The six modules form a complete lifecycle — but organizations can enter at any point. You don't need to start at the beginning.
Full engagements, individual modules, or custom applications of the framework — scoped to where you actually are.
Start a Conversation