Frameworks don’t kill creativity — they set it free. In this episode, we're breaking down why UX designers who jump into UI too soon miss the real opportunity for innovation. I’ll show you how ORCA (Objects, Relationships, Calls-to-Action, Attributes) gives you real material to build with — fueling true creativity, better ideas, and a serious compe…

In this more personal solo episode, Sophia shares how she uses OOUX to help her learn and understand complicated things faster, why it's important to budget for and invest in self improvement, plus why OOUX is great for helping you step away from the screens to embody what you're trying to understand. Join us for OOUX Foundations!…

The UX job market is rough. Veterans are being laid off, juniors are struggling to find jobs, and yet, digital experiences are clunky and getting worse. What gives? In this raw and honest solo-episode, Sophia explores why UX has been set up to fail — why big problems remain unsolved, and why leadership often undervalues UX work. You'll hear how we'…

In this solo episode of the podcast, Sophia discusses, "AI: A Guide for Thinking Humans" by Melanie Mitchell professor at the Santa Fe Institute. Are world models the answer to creating human-like intelligence in AI? What are the arguments for and against world models in training AI? And can OOUX help in creating these models? LINKS: Join Melanie's…

As president of Catbird Content, Torrey Podmajersky helps teams solve business and customer problems using UX and content. She has written inclusive and accessible consumer and professional experiences at Google, OfferUp, and Microsoft, and now for clients of Catbird Content. She wrote the best-selling Strategic Writing for UX, and teaches at schoo…

In this episode, Sophia and Allie get clear on what exactly OOUX is, how the ORCA process works, and why everyone is talking about it! If you have heard about OOUX and were wondering what it can do for you in your UX practice, or if you find yourself faced with intense digital complexity and need a way to break it down, this video is for you!Check …

Raktim Chatterjee is a Certified OOUX Strategist and the Lead UX Consultant at Xebia, a global IT consultancy. In this episode, Sophia and Raktim talk about how to get buy-in on OOUX with stakeholders by reviewing headaches from previous projects through an OOUX lens and by meeting people where they are, why OOUX becomes exponentially beneficial wh…

The Self-Paced OOUX Masterclass is coming off the shelf at midnight on Friday, September 27, 2024. In this solo episode of the podcast, Sophia talks about why she's taking the course off the market, when it will be back, and why you should get this "life-changing," "mind blowing," "career-saving" course today before it's gone, plus two big lessons …

In this solo episode of the podcast, Sophia asks, what is the point of OOUX? What are the things people get out of OOUX? Sophia outlines the three glorious transformations that OOUX provides to the weary UX professional. This podcast is for people who are wondering if they should dive deeper into the world of Object-Oriented UX. LINKS: Get started …

There are big changes coming to the world of OOUX. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia talks about bumping the ORCA process up from 15 to 16 steps. She also discusses the upcoming Cohort 10, which will mark the tenth anniversary of OOUX! And to celebrate that milestone she has devised four new bonuses for this cohort. Plus, why we will be puttin…

Kate Redfern is a Senior UX Consultant at Manifesto, a digital experience agency that works with clients in the non-profit and government space. Philippe Fara is the Digital Experience Manager for Renfrewshire Council. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia, Kate, and Philippe discuss using the ORCA process to raise user competency scores for the R…

Will Poole is Head of User Experience at Kyan, a digital product agency that specializes in strategy, design, and engineering, expertly crafting digital experiences to solve complex problems and drive innovation. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Will talk about Will's journey to finding OOUX, the challenges of bringing OOUX to Kyan, and u…

Ghyslain Olier is the Design Director at Content Square and has 15 years of experience in product design. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Ghyslain discuss using OOUX to organize your team, why your O's, R's, C's, and A's are your competitive advantage, plus thoughts on OOUX and AI! LINKS: Connect with Ghyslain on LinkedIn Sign up for the…

Abby Covert is an information architect, writer and community organizer with two decades of experience helping people make sense of messes. She is the author of the 2014 book, How to Make Sense of Any Mess, "a book to teach IA to everybody," and more recently, Stuck, Diagrams Help, a book for teaching the art of diagramming. In this episode of the …

In this solo episode of the podcast, Sophia talks about the coming artificial intelligence revolution and how it could work with OOUX. She discusses AI world models and how OOUX provides a framework for training AIs. Plus she shares all the fun AI/OOUX material coming down the pipeline, including Zoe, the OOUX bot (currently in development) and a m…

Elena Haskins is a Certified OOUX Strategist and product designer that helps design software for SaaS startups that make users feel effortlessly at home. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Elena discuss how dog owners can teach clients about cardinality, why OOUX helps you ask the questions no one else is asking, and how system objects can …

Dan Mall is a creative director, designer, founder, and entrepreneur. He currently runs Design System University: curriculum & community to support how you design at scale. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Dan ask the question, are design systems folks and OOUX folks the same folks? LINKS: Catch up with Dan on his website, danmall.com. Le…

In this eighth installment of the ORCA Series, Sophia wraps up the Requirements round with Attribute Requirements. Tune in to hear Sophia give a primer on deeper level requirements gathering, plus what sorts of questions generally get asked during the Requirements round. LINKS: ⁠If you've taken the OOUX Masterclass, get your seat in the 15 Advanced…

In this solo episode of the podcast, Sophia gives a great bird's eye view of the ORCA process, outlining each step, how it can stand alone on its own, and what the main "tripping point" is for each part of the process. Plus, a teaser for the advanced training, March 1, 2024. Buckle up and grab something to take notes! LINKS: 15 Advanced Moves to Le…

Kristin Ouellette Muskat is a Certified OOUX Strategist who is the Principal User Experience Designer at Coforma, and has worked in the government space for years. In this episode of podcast, Sophia and Kristin discuss why it's important to work at a sustainable pace, yak shaving in government work, how working in government differs from private co…

Greetings OOUXers! In this New Years episode of the podcast, we welcome Content Designer, Information Architect, and Certified OOUX Consultant, Karen Hewell. Sophia and Karen discuss the power of naming your feelings and thoughts, the difference between feelings and thoughts, mapping your polarizing traits can make you more confident, & how to get …

In this seventh installment of the ORCA Series, Sophia brings some holiday cheer while covering CTA Requirements. Revisiting the Santa Delivery App from ORCA Series #6, Relationship Requirements, she explores the four ways you can upgrade your basic user stories, plus how to use AI to help you fill in the gaps you might have missed. LINKS: Listen t…

In this festive episode of the podcast, Sophia delivers episode #6 in the ORCA Series: Relationship Requirements. Sophia summarizes & expands on "My Cat Saving Fire Department," the power tool for analyzing object relationships. Using the example of Santa delivering presents, she illustrates how to apply this tool to understand relationships betwee…

In this fifth installment of the ORCA Series, Sophia discusses Object Requirements, how to skip ORCA steps & loop back to them as needed, as well as ways to customize the ORCA sprint, plus the potential use of artificial intelligence in generating object guides. LINKS: The ORCA Series Collection on OOUX.com. The ORCA Sprints Collection on OOUX.com.…

In this fourth installment of the ORCA Series, Sophia discusses the 15 attributes that you'll want to consider for every single object in your system. Think about this like a gut check or a question guide for each object. Plus, a totally free PDF guide version of this podcast outlining these 15 attributes LINKS: Get the Attribute Discovery Guide Pu…

We UXers need to fill in the skills in the messy middle of the double diamond design process — synthesis, system design, and information architecture. The ability to solve problems here is what makes a high-value UX designer…a UX designer that gets the job, keeps the job, and gets promoted. So what makes that UXer high-value? In this solo episode o…

In this third installment of the ORCA Series, Sophia discusses why objects aren’t more important than all the other parts of a system but are essential to understanding the system, plus she gives 8 tips for CTA discovery! LINKS: Learn more about The OOUX Masterclass Certification Discuss the episode on The OOUX Forum!…

Richard Gower is Vice President (Computing, Data Science & Technology) at DeLoach Engineering Science, PLLC & was the first member of Cohort 8 of The Object-Oriented UX Masterclass Certification to become a Certified OOUX Strategist. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia & Richard discuss what it was like when object-oriented programming was inven…

Kamil Van Buuren is a Digital Experience Design Team Leader at IKEA, With a focus on IKEA's co-worker & employee experiences. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia & Kamil discuss when to give your team a heavy versus a light dose of OOUX, using OOUX to quickly gain domain knowledge at a new job, plus how to more efficiently divide & conquer on a …

Allie Ofisher is a UX Consultant & Certified OOUX Strategist who focuses on information architecture, user research, & of course, Object-Oriented UX. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia & Allie discuss running an ORCA Sprint for the Church of Latter Day Saints, how best to teach the process to stakeholders who might not have a design background,…

Caitlin Steele is the Experience Design Manager at Jira & Liam Greig is Head of Design at Confluence, both previously were at Trello. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia, Liam, & Caitlin discuss the aftermath of an OOUX Design Sprint at Trello, how maybe OOUX isn't for everyone, & strategies for bringing OOUX to a big organization. LINKS: Sign u…

Ewelina Nowakowska is a Certified OOUX Strategist and is the Director of UI/UX Design & Development at American Reading Company. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia & Ewelina discuss the ways in which OOUX is like mental yoga practice, how ORCA helps teams work faster, plus some exciting innovations that may be on the horizon from OOUX headquart…

In this episode of the podcast, Sophia explains eight ways to level up your system modeling skills, plus diagramming The Church of Latter Day Saints! Please let Sophia know on Twitter (@sophiavux) what you think. What was your favorite tip? What do you think you will start using? Next time on The OOUX Podcast, we will do my top tips on the CTA matr…

Chase Roberts is the Senior Content designer at Chewy.com and has worked as a senior content designer in the fintech world with Global 500 banks, like Capital One and BBVA, as well as at startups like Wealthfront and Relief App. In this episode of the podcast Sophia and Chase discuss using Object-Oriented UX to onboard at Chewy.com, creating new ob…

In this episode of the podcast, Sophia talks to the VP of Design and Research at HelloFresh — Jake Zukowski. They discuss how a designer on his team started sneaking OOUX through the backdoor into their design meetings, they debate about the difference between a Product Manager and a UX Designer, and they talk about how PMs can bring OOUX to their …

NOW AVAILABLE! Sign up for Joe & Sophia's Udemy course: OOUX Fundamentals! In this super candid conversation, Joe Natoli and Sophia sit down to talk UX process, sketching, creativity, agile, and how OOUX can fit into to all of the above, "meeting you where you are". We'll give you a look into the new course that Joe and Sophia are launching on Apri…

This is a story about finding a path from struggle to satisfaction and from frustration to way more fun. In yet another solo episode (we promise we’ve got some interviews coming up!), Sophia goes way back to her childhood, high school, college days, and early UX career to make sense of the current state of OOUX and ORCA. Sophia gets into the frustr…

In this episode of the podcast, Sophia kicks off the first in a 15-part series on her ORCA (Objects, Relationships, CTAs, and Attributes) process. This first installment will cover the process of Noun Foraging. Learn Sophia's 10 hot tips for getting started with noun foraging. Plus, how artificial intelligence can help you do the work, and how noun…

In this first episode of 2023, Sophia lays out her findings after successfully rolling out the ORCA Sprint envisioned in episode 033 from last season. She talks about manifesting the ORCA Sprint from concept to deliverable, what worked and what didn't work (and what can probably be skipped) while running the first ORCA Sprint, and why ending Day 2 …

As we're rounding out the end of 2022, now's a great time to think about your 2023 career goals! In this episode, I share some of my recent realizations and applications of goal-setting and how it's been working for me as well as some questions to consider as you're thinking about where you want to put your focus next year. We're talking about: SMA…

In this episode, I share my favorite journal prompts to get clear on what might be holding you back from self-promoting at work. You can take a couple of these prompts each day or have a mega-session going through all of them. I'd love to hear what you learned about yourself while journaling — Come follow me on Instagram and share your experience: …

In this episode, we talk about self-promotion at work! I share my favorite tips and ways of thinking about self-promotion so that you can get out of your own way, share the amazing work you're doing, and ultimately get recognized for it! Want to hear more about promoting yourself at work and taking up space without feeling smarmy? Come follow me on…

In this episode, we talk about how to set yourself up for success in your next UX role — whether it's your first UX role or a new industry/company/title, this episode is for you! We'll cover the 5 types of questions that I ask my clients as they're stepping into a new UX Career season — and the #1 thing most people forget to do before starting thei…

In this episode, we talk about the biggest question: How do I get a job in UX. You've taken the courses, gotten the skills, used those skills on some projects, and now you're ready to take your UX career to the next level: Full-time employment. Today we walk through the 6 steps that I use in "Land Your First UX Role" to help people get job search r…

In this episode, we talk about all the ways that you can get the UX skills you need to move forward in your UX career. You've decided that UX is the career path you want to pursue, and now you need the skills and experiences to become a "UXer". We talk about different ways of thinking about the skills you need, where you can get them, and how to st…

In this episode, I talk with UX Writer and UX Portfolio PowerPlay grad, Tiffany Hsia! Tiffany shares about her experience in pivoting her career, finding her niche, and ultimately landing a job in her niche in a pandemic. Tiffany Hsia is a certified User Experience Designer, UX Writer, and Object-Oriented UX strategist. She recently landed her firs…

In this episode, I talk about some of the questions that I ask clients when they're considering a career transition — especially into UX. This is an important phase in your UX journey because it's helping you figure out what information, skills, and experiences you want and need in order to know whether UX is the right career for you or not. Follow…

I'm so excited to share this episode with you where I talk with one of my favorite people, Sarah Kate Hampton. Sarah Kate is one of the most genuine people I know. We met at General Assembly and have stayed close ever since — through jobs, layoffs, new adventures, stand-up comedy, all of it. Sarah Kate's a FORCE in this world — she's always ready t…

In this episode, I talk with Maggie Olson, a business coach for start-up creatives, about the top mistakes or struggles she sees people make when first starting their business. If you've considered breaking out on your own — or even how to break through a "maybe" phase, this episode is for you! Connect with Maggie Olson on Instagram @maggielynncrea…

In this episode, Darrin and I talk about what it's like starting a new UX role mid-pandemic. How to make the most of the first few months without letting imposter syndrome eat you alive. Darrin talks about balancing wanting to make immediate impact, while trusting teammates and setting himself up for success. Darrin is a UX & Product Designer at La…