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Here's a list of OOUX-y articles, with the most recently published at the top.
Do you want to make your website or web app more intuitive for the people who visit? As a UX designer at OddBird, Sondra Eby uses OOUX strategies to identify and avoid unintuitive objects. A warning, though, before you continue: once you start seeing unintuitive objects, you won’t be able to unsee them!
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readI’ve got a question that I feel like no one is asking. Why is “legacy software” always considered a bad thing? Or perhaps the better question is: What if we could create good legacy software?
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readStone shares how OOUX saved developers 1000+ hours of discovery work, led a team to collaborate with the entire organization, and discovered 12 objects with over 100 relationships - all with just the Discovery phase, no less!
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readLearn to recognize and leverage this ubiquitous hierarchy pattern that you've probably never heard of.
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readThe UX Discovery process can often make or break a project. Mary explores how OOUX, with its focus on finding the nouns/objects in a system can save time, remove headaches, and get stakeholder buy-in early while letting designers lead projects.
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readIn this article Matthias Dittrich explains why your applications should be intuitive tools, not uber-guided funnels and how OOUX and direct manipulation can make your UI more natural and engaging.
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readCertified OOUX Strategist, Aleš Horvatek, recounts his experience taking The OOUX Masterclass Certification Course and lays out what to expect when taking the course as well as how he has incorporated OOUX and the ORCA process into his design practice.
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readIn this article, Sophia outlines why it's a bad idea to start UX projects with task flows and how OOUX can provide the framework you need to get started with any design project, no matter the complexity.
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readLearn how Delyanka and her team of OOUXers put on a 4-hour conference workshop on OOUX. If you are looking for inspo to run your own workshop, this article's got it.
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readIn this article, Sophia answers a common question about the ORCA process. Should the Prioritization Round come before the detailed work of the Requirements Round? Why not do all the trimming first, and then focus the detailed work on what’s left over?
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readHow an OOUX approach can help keep the IA lean and simple while scaling your application.
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readCan the Object Map used to facilitate user research?
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readA collection of beautifully prepared slides from Rik's presentation to Sony PlayStation on what OOUX is, where it fits in information architecture practice, and how to execute it.
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readFredy shares an in-depth article on defining business and product goals and more with JTBD (job to be done), OST (opportunity solution trees), and OOUX!
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readORCA is a 15-step meat-grinder of a process: put good research in one end and out the other, get clarity, structure, and everything you need to go into interaction design with confidence. It’s an iterative process that helps you synthesize research into naturally-intuitive UX. You need ORCA, the third diamond in your "double-diamond" design process.
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readIn his second article on creating an object-oriented CMS in Webflow, Luke Prater, CTO of Rewired UX, discusses three ways to future-proof your Webflow CMS.
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readWhat does leveling up look like when you’re drilling down? In other words, what does it mean to practice advanced UX without “manager” or “director” in your title? If you ask 10 experienced UXers you will probably get 10 different answers. But, for what it’s worth, here are my top five.
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readLuke Prater, CTO of Rewired UX, writes his first Medium article about the OOUX-ing of OOUX.com (no pressure!).
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readWhat do archaeology and information architecture have in common? More than you think. In this short article, Sophia outlines the similarities and makes a tongue-in-cheek case for why information architecture should probably be renamed "information archaeology."
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readXR (Extended, Virtual, and Augmented Reality) is traditionally a field saturated with game designers, animators, 3D modelers, and developers. But what is the role of UX design in the coming XR revolution? In this article, Sophia explains why "UX for XR" author, Cornel Hillman, believes Object-Oriented UX is the "missing link" for UX in XR.
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readCertified OOUX Strategist, Rik Williams, has outlined 19 benefits of OOUX for the user-centred and mental model-based information architecture of data-rich products, services and systems. If you need ammunition for selling OOUX at your company, this article is a fantastic mine of stakeholder-whispering postulation.
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readThe challenges of working in UX are often "intimidating and overwhelming." Allie Ofisher shares how getting certified in OOUX transformed her process and gave her stronger confidence.
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readAs Mary looked back at the past year, it occurred to her that it was a year of big changes in the things that she did on a daily basis. Some changes were big and some were more granular, but it reminded her that, as a designer and as a person, she is capable of learning and change.
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readIn microsoft Teams, the TEAM object is pretty confusing and disorienting, expecially when first joining. OOUXer Jimmy Simov of SAP exposes in detail what's wrong and shows us how an OOUX approach can help.
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readThis article is part of a series of case studies that follow my journey of practicing and refining my Object-Oriented UX process. In many ways this project is where my career as a designer of the design process really began. It was a project of many firsts: my first responsive design, my first time working very closely with the development team, and my first real system design.
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readThis article is part of a series of case studies that follow my journey of practicing and refining OOUX. I hope you are ready to continue the CNN Elections saga after I returned to the newsroom — three years after leaving the team. In this case study, I talk about the struggles of pushing for collaboration and research, content-based navigation, Skeuomorphism 2.0, stage diagrams, and more.
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readAn object-oriented UX approach helps build scalable and consistent systems. Dittrich proposes an “object-oriented” approach that models the user experience around the content elements. A mindset that helps you to keep the UI scalable and consistent.
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readCertified OOUX Strategist, Lauren Stone, uses OOUX and the ORCA process to help the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) to rebrand its image in order to adopt a more modern look and exhibit more credibility. The new brand strategy aims to attract younger, and more diverse members while establishing a more inclusive culture.
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readIt’s why so many UX designers are frustrated in their job and why many projects fail. It’s also why we often can’t sell research: every decision-maker is confident in their own mental picture. In this article, Sophia shows you how to collaboratively expose misalignment in your team’s shared understanding by bringing them together around two questions. What are the objects? How do they relate?
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readIn Part 2 of her series on better product design using OOUX, Nikki takes you through the nitty-gritty on how to hit the ground running using OOUX and the ORCA process in your work to create better products by defining a system of objects before jumping into task flows and interaction design.
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readContent models have to serve a variety of delivery channels, each more outlandish than the last. But why do many content models still look more like design systems rather than reflecting structured data? Mike takes us on a personal journey as he examines his own experiences and invites us to conceive content models that articulate meaning and group related content together for use on any channel.
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readNow that I am aware of junction objects, I use them ALL. THE. TIME. In this article, you'll learn about an OOUX-power tool that helps you solve some super-sticky data puzzles. This "design-technical" tool improves communication and collaboration with developers, while allowing us (UX designers) to create more dynamic experiences for our users.
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readYou can add OOUX to your toolset to strengthen your UX process and dramatically improve your discovery phases. In this article, Certified OOUX Strategist, Mary Mahling Carns, takes you step by step through the full process.
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readIn this article, Michaela talks about how she used the ORCA process in making a little Mars weather app using NASA’s Insight Weather API.
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readCommon misconception: OOUX is only good for large-scale redesigns or ground-up design work. In this quick and fun case study, Mary shows us how to OOUX a single page on Taco Bell's online ordering system.
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readIn this article, Sarah Barrett talks about how mapping can improve digital experiences. She also tackled the 4 steps to make our digital experiences mappable.
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readIn this article, Sophia V Prater explains how you can use her object-oriented UX methodology to create intuitive digital products devoid of clutter. According to Sophia, broken objects are one of the biggest user experience fails.
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readThis article covers some of the challenges and approaches surrounding this focus, with particular attention to designing for the audience’s diverse levels of familiarity and expertise with the website’s underlying subject.
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readIn this article, Alicia and Andrea talk about Duo’s Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) Design Process. It also tackles the 3 steps on how OOUX works.
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read"The course gave me so much more confidence in my skills as a UX designer." In this article, Lindsay shares her experience with the OOUX certification program, how it helped her improve as a UX designer, and how it improved her confidence in her own professional abilities.
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readEmmet Connolly (who brought OOUX training to Intercom back in 2016) write about how design systems need to be object-oriented, and how they are working toward that goal at Intercom.
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readA Brooklyn Cat Cafe needed a mobile app to help cat adopters find great matches and increase the number of adoptions, plus consolidate the many tools they use into one app. Follow along with this fun and comprehensive case study as Lisa wields OOUX to unite hopeful kitties with their forever homes.
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readLindsay gives a step-by-step walk-through of the ORCA OOUX design process, breaking down each round from discovery and requirements, to prioritization and prototyping, all while simultaneously designing an online coffee shop experience.
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readThis is a great article about how OOUX can be used from a software development perspective. Eduard also has some interesting techniques for documenting Attribute Requirements.
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readYou name the language, human babies learn nouns easier and faster than verbs. In this article, Sophia explores research conducted by Dedre Gentner and lays out how her finding are relevant and important in the world of UX.
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readThe BBC has been basing their website design on domain models for over a decade. In OOUX, the design process focuses on objects, relationships, calls-to-action, and attributes. In this article, Sophia discusses how BBC Food is using OOUX to create a superb user experience on their website.
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read"OOUX and Design Systems, a match made in design heaven." Object-Oriented UX should be an organizing principle for your Design System. In this article, Sophia talks about how OOUX improves the process of creating a Design System.
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readAllison is a content designer, content strategist, editor of the IBM Design Medium Publication. After COVID-19 hit, Allison started thinking about how to apply what she learned in a recent OOUX workshop to COVID-19 safety messaging.
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readOOUX has become a design power tool and it’s something you should know about if you’re interested in offering a better digital user experience for your customers. Learn how OOUX helps you build things your users can understand, simplifies and declutters your design, and fosters better projects and happier teams.
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readDesign systems are essential, but what Heidi shows in this article is that a design system alone, particularly if it’s primarily a component level design system, does not guarantee a simple, consistent experience. Heidi Adkisson shows us how to create a 'narrative' object model and dives deep into four main types of relationships.
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readIn this article, Mariana talks about the software she uses for UX/UI. This software is called Drooms which is a virtual data room that caters to a very niche audience: Lawyers.
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readExamine how EdX accomplishes a refreshingly natural browsing experience — curious users can navigate from subject, to course, to instructor, to school, and back again without ever needing to pick through the hierarchical main navigation. This is one of the primary principles of object-oriented user experience (OOUX): contextual navigation through object relationships.
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readIn the digital world, anything is possible. But if digital-space interfaces stray too far from our expectations, users will become unsure, confused, and unhappy. This article spells out why we should design with lizard brains in mind to create intuitive interfaces. (In OOUX, we have a new definition for a Broken Object. In this article, think of the Broken object as a mean Shapeshifter.)
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readLook into how users understand and process their world, how thought, communication, understanding, and perception are all object-oriented, and how when digital design aligns with real-world objects, better UX is the result.
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readInteraction design helps users get things done in digital spaces. For UX designers, it's where we choreograph all the users' doing; the verbs. But what are the things being "done to"? Learn how defining your nouns (objects) first will set you up for more intuitive interaction design.
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readSophia reflects on the value of pushing your content, getting it out there, and telling imposter syndrome to take a hike.
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readThe original OOUX manifesto. You'll learn why designing "objects first" is pivotal and how it helps you define the core structure of your system. The process has evolved over the years into Sophia's ORCA process, but this 2015 article is still a great place to start.
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readMike did an excellent case study on how the BBC used Domain-Driven Design (a grandparent of OOUX) to revolutionize how the BBC creates, manages, publishes, and displays their massive trove of media. He reminds us that users "are not interested in a video, [they] are interested in what the video is about. [They] are interested in real things—real world things."
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readHave you heard the term "Object-Oriented?" Thought maybe it only applies to developers and techies? Think again. Paul makes the case that it's just about time we all started getting on board the Object-Oriented thought train as a way of viewing and deconstructing systems.
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readA classic piece on task-oriented navigation vs object-oriented navigation that deftly references more classic pieces of writing on the subject.
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readTom Dayton currently consults through his company, Presto Innovation. He counts silicon valley startups and being an 11-year NASA Ames Research Center veteran among his many impressive professional accomplishments. In this article he outlines our ubiquitous computer future, and guess what? It's object-oriented.
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readOOUX stands on the shoulders of giants! Lovinger was writing about content modeling back in 2012, pioneering the ideas of structured content.
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