Duncan Stephen

Article — 1 July 2024 — 1,082 words

Reflecting on two years as a user experience consultant; looking ahead to working on structured content

Digital — Information architecture — User experience — User research

The latest chapter in my career has closed, as I have found an incredibly exciting new opportunity. But the past couple of years have given me a lot to reflect on.

Article — 10 April 2024 — 1,361 words

Perception–Cognition–Action analysis — Getting to the root causes of usability errors and accessibility problems

Accessibility — User experience

Work: User Vision

Perception–Cognition–Action analysis is a robust method for uncovering the root causes of usability errors and accessibility challenges in systems. By understanding these underlying issues, systems can be greatly enhanced to cater to a wide array of user needs.

Article — 11 March 2024 — 139 words

Speaking at UX Healthcare conference in April

Accessibility — User experience

Work: User Vision

I will be speaking at the UX Healthcare conference in London on Friday 12 April. Book now to learn about using Perception-Cognition-Action analysis to improve accessibility and outcomes in healthcare products.

Article — 21 February 2024 — 473 words

Imogen Kit Oliver Stephen

Personal

In late January our second daughter Imogen was born.

Article — 8 January 2024 — 754 words

Meeting up with Pulp in the years 2023 and 2024

Music

I went to just two concerts in 2023, and they were both of Pulp’s performances in Scotland.

Article — 2 January 2024 — 1,225 words

Busi-ness and blogging in 2024

Personal — Technology — Web

A busier life, and recent events on the internet, mean a new direction for my blog.

Article — 7 November 2023 — 2,080 words

My parkrun Ⅼ

Personal

I have recently completed my 50th parkrun.

Article — 1 November 2023 — 297 words

An addition and a loss

Personal

Alex and I are expecting a second baby!

Article — 19 August 2023 — 1,733 words

Britpop, braindance and broken politics — How 1990s optimism became passé

Culture — Music — Politics

Britpop has been having a moment again this summer, prompting investigations into why the scene fizzled out. The conventional explanations are unconvincing. Electronic music tells us why.

Article — 20 January 2023 — 1,220 words

The gradual death of AM radio takes with it a curious part of Britain’s psyche

Media — Society

1215 AM. Not quarter past midnight, but a radio frequency familiar to generations (although perhaps not any of the younger ones). Today it has stopped broadcasting. As AM radio slowly disappears, a bit of British folklore goes with it.

Article — 30 December 2022 — 1,261 words

20 years of blogging

Personal — Technology — Web

Today marks the 20th anniversary of my first blog post. Blogging is important to me, but it has seen many changes. The online publishing ecosystem is having a moment right now. So what’s next?

Article — 6 November 2022 — 1,179 words

One twit can make a service a dodo

Digital — Politics — Web

I have complicated feelings about the apparent imminent demise of Twitter in the hands of a reckless owner.