Object-oriented user experience

Article — 11 August 2025 — 1,745 words

Life beyond the folder system

Digital — Information architecture — Technology — Web

The folder metaphor is so intuitive to generations of computer users that they can struggle to think of any other way of using a computer. Yet for younger generations, the idea is completely alien.

Article — 17 July 2025 — 1,715 words

Top tasks survey — One weird trick to improve information architecture and user experience

Information architecture — User experience

One of the most powerful methods in information architecture and user experience is also one of the least well-known. The top tasks method uses a single survey question that tells you exactly what matters most to your users. I find it so effective that I’m amazed more people haven’t used it.

Article — 26 June 2025 — 1,082 words

Services are verbs combined with nouns

Information architecture — Service design

Information architecture normally focuses on the objects that need to be represented in a system. Some human-centred practitioners focus instead on the tasks users need to do. These approaches are sometimes framed in opposition. But combining these techniques can make services and systems easier to use as well as more efficient to manage.

Article — 25 February 2025 — 1,679 words

Object-oriented approaches in action

Information architecture — User experience — Web — Work

There are several benefits of building a content model in an object-oriented way. This post walks through those benefits, and demonstrates a real-life example of how this approach works on a well-known website.

Article — 17 February 2025 — 1,012 words

How we are following an object-oriented approach to structuring information

Information architecture — User experience — Work

Decades-old approaches are being brought up to date with new techniques to create a robust way of structuring content to enable reuse and make content management more efficient.

Article — 10 February 2025 — 801 words

The object of information architecture

Information architecture — Parenting — Social science — User experience — Work

In my job at the Scottish Government, we are understanding the opportunities that can be provided by following an object-oriented approach to structuring our information.