TLDR
Imagine trying to build a house by decorating rooms before constructing walls. That’s what designing screens without defining objects looks like, chaotic and inefficient. This guide about Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) shows how priortizing content leads to scalable, user-friendly products.
What is OOUX?
Designing without OOUX is like cooking a meal without laying out your ingredients, it leads to confusion and mistakes. With OOUX, you organize your "ingredients" (objects) first, making the “cooking” (designing) process smoother.
Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) focuses on defining objects that users interact with before jumping into wireframes or screens. By understanding these objects, their attributes, and how they relate, designers create interfaces that align with how users think.
Benefits
- Reflects mental models - Users think in terms of objects (e.g., events, profiles, or tickets), not screens.
- Eliminates patchwork - A object structure prevents last-minute design fixes.
- Unlocks developer - Definint objects enables developers to begin setting up database and backend logic while design progresses. This work saves time and accelerates delivery.
- Ensures a shared mental model - Aligns designers, developers, and stakeholders, reducing misunderstandings and smoothing handoffs.
Example
In an event booking app, the objects would be Events, Users, Tickets, and Venues, each with its own attributes and actions.
Why OOUX Matters
Imagine planning a city without roadmaps. Buildings would be scattered randomly, roads would lead nowhere. OOUX ensures your app's "roads" (navigation) connect the "buildings" (objects) logically.
Without OOUX, design and development processes can become disconnected, resulting in duplicated efforts, mismatched data structures, and wasted time. By anchoring your design around objects, you ensure that user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility align from the start.
Why You Should Care
- Reduces feature creep - By focusing on objects and their relationships, you prevent unnecessary features from sneaking in.
- Improves usability - Users find information faster when objects mirror their real-world understanding and user mental models.
- Saves time and money - Informed designs require fewer revisions, keeping projects on schedule.
- Accelerates development - With clear objects, developers can work in parallel with designers, setting up systems early without waiting for final screens.
- Confirms a shared understanding - OOUX ensures everyone is working toward the same mental model, reducing rework and communication gaps.
Example
Spotify use objects such as Songs, Playlists, Artists, and Albums. This enables users to know where to find their favorite tracks.
How to Apply OOUX (Step-by-Step)
Ready to build a structure before you design? Here’s how:
1. Identify Key Objects
Think of your app like a movie. Who are the main characters? What entities does your app require?
Examples
- Social media app: Posts, Users, Comments, Likes
- Food delivery app: Restaurants, Dishes, Orders, Users
Use sticky notes for brainstorming, one object per note. Group and rearrange them to reveal patterns.
2. List Their Attributes
Objects are like people; attributes are their defining features. You want to know what makes each object unique.
Examples
- Event: Name, Date, Location, Price
- User: Name, Profile Picture, Email
- Ticket: Seat Number, Price, Purchase Date
3. Define Relationships
Picture a family tree. Relatives connect through branches, your app’s objects connect through relationships. You want to know these objects interact with one another.
- Users create Events
- Tickets belong to Events and are purchased by Users
- Venues host Events
Use diagramming tools like Miro or Figma to map these connections clearly.
4. Define User Actions
A vending machine offers buttons for specific snacks. Your app should do the same, clear actions for each object. You want to know what users should be able to do with each object.
- Users can RSVP to Events, purchase Tickets, or save Venues
- Events can be shared, bookmarked, or added to calendars
- Tickets can be transferred or canceled
Exercise
Create a table mapping each object to user actions to ensure your interface supports real needs.
5. Translate stickies into a spreadsheet (Bonus)
Create a spreadsheet with objects in rows and attributes in columns. This ensures comprehensive coverage of the all your data and examples.
Final Thoughts
Starting with screens may feel faster, but will lead to rework and confusion. OOUX lays a foundation by focusing on objects first, resulting in scalable designs. OOUX lays the foundation for designers to refine the interface, while developers begin setting up databases, accelerating timelines and preventing misalignment.
When everyone shares a mental model, communication improves, decisions speed up, and everyone benefits from the efficiency of defining the objects, their attributes, and their relationships to each other.
Example
Once Events, Users, Tickets, and Venues are defined for an event booking app, developers can build backend while the UI design evolves.