Earth observation has no shortage of technically impressive systems. We can collect more data, process it faster and build increasingly sophisticated models. Yet the distance between what is technically possible and what people can meaningfully use remains surprisingly large.
This site is a place for me to explore that gap.
I am interested in the point where data becomes information, information becomes understanding, and understanding becomes action. That requires more than another processing platform or another interface. It requires us to think carefully about who is trying to solve the problem, what they actually need, and where complexity should be absorbed.
Working backwards from the user
One recurring theme in my work is that we often start with the infrastructure and only later ask how people will use it. My own approach increasingly moves in the opposite direction.
The starting point should be the final mile: can a person ask a meaningful question and receive an interpretable map, useful statistics and a clear explanation of where the result came from? From there, we can work backwards through model execution, optimisation, data preparation and infrastructure.
The same principle applies to technical users. Data scientists should be able to focus more of their attention on the analysis itself, while systems absorb more of the burden of scaling, benchmarking and operational delivery.
What I will write about
The articles here will cover Earth observation, applied artificial intelligence, product and service development, programme leadership, and the practical lessons involved in turning prototypes into dependable services.
Some posts will present developed arguments. Others will be working ideas that become clearer through writing. The common thread will be a focus on usefulness: not only what technology can do, but what it enables people to do.