Duncan Stephen

Article — 22 June 2026 — 1,836 words

Don’t make me thick

Information architecture — Society — User experience

We say “don’t make me think”, and “less is more”. But a naive application of these principles risks limiting our users when we should be helping them grow.

Article — 12 June 2026 — 8,340 words

I don’t normally write about music any more, but I feel compelled to write about the new Boards of Canada album, Inferno. It has far exceeded my expectations. I can’t remember the last time I was so immediately hooked on an album — 15 or 20 years ago, or longer.

Article — 26 May 2026 — 3,473 words

Grounding AI the webby way — Taxonomy Boot Camp London 2026 takeaways

Business — Information architecture — Technology — Web

Work: Scottish Government

There was a heavy focus on artificial intelligence. But what really struck me was that the semantic approaches that are preparing us for our AI future are well-established web standards that have been around for decades.

Article — 21 May 2026 — 1,127 words

From answer engines to learning engines — Why fast answers are like fast food

Information architecture — Social science — Technology — User experience

People crave fast answers. But the purpose of information systems is to help people gain knowledge. So we should seek better questions.

Article — 26 April 2026 — 2,764 words

Working with custom content types in WordPress

Web

Different ways of working with custom content types in WordPress, and the pros and cons of each.

Article — 25 March 2026 — 459 words

Making connections with connected content

Content design — Information architecture — User experience

Work: Scottish Government

For the past month, we have been running events showcasing the opportunities of connected content and information architecture. The response to these sessions has far exceeded my expectations.

Article — 2 March 2026 — 212 words

Connected content learning sessions for public sector colleagues

Information architecture

Work: Scottish Government

I am pleased to be involved in organising a series of learning sessions about connected content and information architecture. This series is available to colleagues working in the public sector. The first sessions are this week.

Article — 25 February 2026 — 100 words

Speaking about the meaning of public services at World IA Day London 2026

Information architecture

Work: Scottish Government

I will be speaking at World IA Day London 2026, an online event about information architecture. This is for anyone who works with information or cares about about how it is organised and understood.

Article — 23 February 2026 — 3,133 words

Words and pictures in the history of user experience and the future of artificial intelligence

Society — Technology — User experience

Modern artificial intelligence tools are largely rooted in text-based interactions. But the history of user experience, information and even humanity shows us that AI will have to go beyond text if it’s going to become relevant.

Article — 19 January 2026 — 1,727 words

Perceiving relationships gives glue people the edge

Business — Information architecture — Social science — Web

Seeing what’s in between as well as what is — in information architecture and in the way organisations work.

Article — 29 December 2025 — 4,552 words

I was hit from behind by a bus

Personal — Society

For me, 2024 was an extraordinary year of milestone moments and major achievements. It was all overshadowed by one negative event in the summer that I had not received closure on. A year and a half on, I have only just reached something resembling a resolution.

Article — 9 December 2025 — 1,844 words

Resisting Conway’s law through more thoughtful mapping

Business — Digital — Information architecture — User experience

Organisational structures and information architectures are both often visualised in artefacts described as “maps”. These constrained visualisations may embed siloed ways of working, and create problems for our users.