Duncanstephen.net
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Duncan Stephen – Human-centred decisions
Human-centred decisions
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[…] In another post, I describe the benefits we expect to see from following this approach. […]
25.2.2025 22:00Comment on Object-oriented approaches in action by How we are following an object-oriented approach to structuring information – Duncan Stephen[…] In other posts, I describe how we are doing it, and the benefits we expect to see. […]
25.2.2025 21:59Comment on Object-oriented approaches in action by The object of information architecture – Duncan Stephen[…] Prater gives an example of a research institute website she consulted on. This example spoke to me, having worked for 12 years for three different higher education institutions, each of which had sprawling web estates that suffered from an array of content management […]
25.2.2025 16:43Comment on 12 years in higher education web and user experience management by Object-oriented approaches in action – Duncan Stephen[…] previous posts I have explained what an object-oriented approach to structuring information is, and how we are doing it at the Scottish Government. Now it’s time to explain why we are […]
25.2.2025 16:36Comment on The object of information architecture by Object-oriented approaches in action – Duncan StephenThere 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.
25.2.2025 16:36Object-oriented approaches in action[…] future posts, I will describe how we are doing it, and the benefits we expect to […]
17.2.2025 17:04Comment on How we are following an object-oriented approach to structuring information by The object of information architecture – Duncan Stephen[…] I have described in a previous post how object-oriented user interface concepts have successfully pe…. What makes these ideas so persistent is their link to real-world objects. […]
17.2.2025 17:03Comment on The object of information architecture by How we are following an object-oriented approach to structuring information – Duncan StephenDecades-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.
17.2.2025 17:01How we are following an object-oriented approach to structuring information… reposted this!
11.2.2025 16:10Comment on The object of information architecture by Duncan StephenIn 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.
10.2.2025 20:51The object of information architecture… liked this!
8.2.2025 03:01Comment on There’s no such thing as a technology problem by Larry Maker… liked this!
5.2.2025 01:14Comment on There’s no such thing as a technology problem by The Stoic Deist[…] As I have written before, the technology turns out to be almost irrelevant: […]
4.2.2025 22:05Comment on Why content is more important than code by There’s no such thing as a technology problem – Duncan StephenInformation has become the forgotten half in “information technology”. Tech companies are struggling because they aren’t focusing on the human problems they need to solve.
4.2.2025 22:05There’s no such thing as a technology problemI was sad to learn earlier that Vicky Teinaki has died. Vicky had been a designer for a few different government departments and public sector organisations. I didn’t know her well. But I have read her blog posts for years, and I was delighted to encounter her in meetings about structured information since I joined […]
12.1.2025 22:10A plea for the lost practice of information architecture — Vicky Teinaki[…] my newish job working with structured information with the Scottish Government, I am deepening my understanding of concepts around information architecture, and how to apply […]
4.12.2024 20:26Comment on Reflecting on two years as a user experience consultant; looking ahead to working on structured content by Information grade — Potentially ...A perspective on the similarities and differences between information, data, content and knowledge.
4.12.2024 20:26Information grade — Potentially useful conceptI found some very vintage but surprisingly pristine litter in Morningside a few weeks ago.
29.11.2024 21:44Very vintage but surprisingly pristine litterYou can now follow me on Bluesky: @duncanstephen.net. As with my other social media accounts, its main purpose will be to let my followers know when I have posted something on my blog. But if you’re on Bluesky, feel free to follow me there. While you’re at it, check out the other ways you can […]
21.11.2024 23:30Follow me on Bluesky: @duncanstephen.netI have long been an advocate of agile ways of working. One of the things that originally drew me to user experience was the opportunity to have evidence-based ways of understanding the changes you need to make. So I was surprised whenever I encountered people who believed that user experience methods ran counter to the principles of agile.
5.11.2024 22:29Our flag in the sand — How to escape the desert of user needs by integrating agile and user experienceHappy Halloween. May your CMS be headless.
31.10.2024 21:30Happy Halloween. May your CMS be headlessI have decided to refresh my approach to blogging (yet again). There are a couple of main drivers for this.
30.9.2024 21:53Comment on Reflecting on two years as a user experience consultant; looking ahead to working on structured content by Duncan StephenEvery discipline feels hard done by in the current climate. But looking beyond your own discipline could help you get your next role.
8.8.2024 19:07Comment on Why I talk about human-centred approaches by duncanstephenChris and Steve, thank you both for your kind comments! It was great working with you all. All the best for the future!
6.7.2024 07:23Comment on Reflecting on two years as a user experience consultant; looking ahead to working on structured content by Duncan StephenIt has been a great pleasure working with you over the last couple of years Duncan. You have a very encouraging and compassionate management style that brought out the best in the team. All the very best for the new chapter, you’ll be an asset to the government for sure.
5.7.2024 16:16Comment on Reflecting on two years as a user experience consultant; looking ahead to working on structured content by Steve DenningThanks Duncan for your great work with UV. We have enjoyed having you on board and certainly our clients have benefitted from the skills of you and the rest of the team. All the best in your new role!
5.7.2024 10:01Comment on Reflecting on two years as a user experience consultant; looking ahead to working on structured content by Chris RourkeThe 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.
1.7.2024 21:05Reflecting on two years as a user experience consultant; looking ahead to working on structured contentPerception–Cognition–Action (PCA) analysis is a method of uncovering the root causes of usability errors and accessibility challenges in systems. Read my article to learn more, or come to this week's UX Edinburgh meetup to hear me speak about it.
13.5.2024 20:06Getting to the root causes of usability errors and accessibility problems[…] invokes from people around the world. In order to set this idea into motion, Coca-Cola hired the experienced design studio ‘The Designers Republic’, resulting in the advert […]
20.3.2024 22:31Comment on 33 adventures in The Designers Republic by Complex Imagery – InsightI 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.
11.3.2024 12:13Speaking at UX Healthcare conference in AprilIn reply to <a href="https://duncanstephen.net/imogen-kit-oliver-stephen/#comment-220695">Stéphanie Krus</a>. Thank you Stéphanie! I will wrap myself in bubble wrap to ensure I don't break any bones this time!
25.2.2024 20:47Comment on Imogen Kit Oliver Stephen by Duncan StephenWelcome little Imogen and congratulation! Hopefully this time you don't break anything Stephen and enjoy the whole full-on experience ;)
24.2.2024 11:15Comment on Imogen Kit Oliver Stephen by Stéphanie KrusIn late January our second daughter Imogen was born.
21.2.2024 22:41Imogen Kit Oliver StephenI went to just two concerts in 2023, and they were both of Pulp's performances in Scotland.
8.1.2024 21:26Meeting up with Pulp in the years 2023 and 2024Thanks for the comment Neil! The way I look at it, images and videos are perfectly fine if that is the essence of your thing. The problem I have is adding an unnecessary image that doesn't add anything at all to the writing. It did seem somehow important for social media, but I am done with bending over backwards for all that. I just want to write. If people are drawn to visit by the image rather than the writing, they probably aren't going to like the writing. The other environmental decisions are little incremental gains. As much as anything, it's a rubric I'm using to justify my decisions. On emails, I discovered upon publishing this post that I can select on a per-post basis whether it gets pushed to email subscribers. It will add a little friction each time I post, but it probably gives me the flexibility I need.
3.1.2024 21:05Comment on Busi-ness and blogging in 2024 by Duncan StephenI am fascinated by environment-centred design principles. As someone who posts a lot of images and the occasional video, I feel a bit guilty (though I offset it by not consuming pr0n). I would like to compare the impact of different approaches. Re: header images I think this is a legacy of social media sharing and cards etc. On Twitter, sans titles, these are now especially useless. Look forward to seeing how activity pub works and how to reduce the number of emails.
3.1.2024 11:06Comment on Busi-ness and blogging in 2024 by Neil ScottA busier life, and recent events on the internet, mean a new direction for my blog.
2.1.2024 17:18Busi-ness and blogging in 2024There's many places in the U.K. where AM is the only way to listen to radio. Even in the Lake District FM is patchy, DAB often non existent and no mobile signal for streaming. Same in the Highlands of Scotland and parts of Wales. It seems to me that the air are talking themselves into the end of AM because they don't want to pay for it. Gone are the days when it was a public service operated by the BBC. Hard luck to those who can't listen on DAB or stream. Best read a book instead
1.1.2024 19:44Comment on The gradual death of AM radio takes with it a curious part of Britain’s psyche by Martin[…] time I wrote about it, I had returned to parkrun exactly one year on from breaking my ankle. Coincidentally it was the first ever parkrun at Holyrood, now the closest venue to my […]
7.11.2023 20:36Comment on Ouch to 5k by My parkrun Ⅼ — Duncan Stephen[…] have blogged about parkrun a few times. Once, I wrote about my 10th parkrun, which didn’t officially count because I forgot my […]
7.11.2023 20:33Comment on 5k 6–X — The next five parkruns by My parkrun Ⅼ — Duncan StephenI have recently completed my 50th parkrun.
7.11.2023 20:33My parkrun ⅬThanks Stéphanie! I'm going to be extra careful this time.
4.11.2023 08:13Comment on An addition and a loss by Duncan Stephencongrats! hopefully, no ankle problem on arrival for this one ;)
4.11.2023 07:52Comment on An addition and a loss by Stéphanie KrusThanks Ashley! :-)
2.11.2023 20:41Comment on An addition and a loss by Duncan StephenHuge congratulations, lovely news!
1.11.2023 21:19Comment on An addition and a loss by AshleyAlex and I are expecting a second baby!
1.11.2023 21:05An addition and a lossBritpop 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.
19.8.2023 07:42Britpop, braindance and broken politics — How 1990s optimism became passéIt's licence, not license unless you mean the verb, i.e. it's a driving licence not a driving license. However, in the USA , they spell it with an "s", so you must have been in the USA for too long!
3.3.2023 21:40Comment on The gradual death of AM radio takes with it a curious part of Britain’s psyche by FriskyJoin me for a virtual breakfast session where you will learn about the links between behavioural science and user experience. We will also introduce some behavioural science frameworks and models you can adopt to improve your user research and design work. It takes place online on Tuesday 7 March at 8:30am. Update: Slides for this […]
2.3.2023 10:08Breakfast briefing — Behavioural science: Approaches to improve user experience — User Vision1215 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.
20.1.2023 17:25The gradual death of AM radio takes with it a curious part of Britain’s psycheJosh, thank you so much for your comment. It was great to chat with you at our World Usability Day event. It's great to know you enjoy reading my blog. All the best!
6.1.2023 18:04Comment on 20 years of blogging by Duncan StephenThanks Duncan. Really enjoy reading your informative blog posts. Was good to meet you at World Usability Day.
6.1.2023 14:32Comment on 20 years of blogging by Josh LonghurstThanks for the comment David! And for your kind words about my writing. It's great to know that you get value in the stuff that isn't necessarily the personal stuff. :-)
4.1.2023 15:23Comment on 20 years of blogging by Duncan StephenStill reading! Picking up from where I left off with the David Bowie theme of my comment 10 years ago; I guess this is the point where post-Heroes Duncan Stephen goes on to enjoy enormous success as a megastar in the blog-sphere with chart-topping pop hits such as ‘Let’s Dance’. Duncan Stephen the Megastar.... or should I say… Duncan Stephen the METAstar! :O …. Meta-Starman even? Hmm I’ve gone too far there. I think I’ll revert to METAstar - I think that was rather clever actually. That leads nicely on to the reason that I read and enjoy your blog. It keeps me right up to speed on developments such as the metaverse, trendy user engagement things (which I find very interesting) and your juicy personal life. You offer insights and explain specific subjects in a way that remains understandable to people like me who have a layman passing interest in such matters, but want to know that little extra detail/reasoned opinion beyond a simplified balanced guide offered in, say, a bbc snippet that’s all “So what’s this Metaverse all about? A 2-minute brief guide to a brief history of the short history”. 20 years of blogging is a great achievement! PS: I retain my view that you ought to dive into that power vacuum at Twitter and become the new CEO. PS PS: I know you have a general distaste for the Metaverse. I read that article and all I could think was how funny it would be if your blog, or an evolution of it, became hugely popular within it. Everyone with their VR helmets on being all “Wow Duncan Stephen there he is! Awooga!”
3.1.2023 23:29Comment on 20 years of blogging by David PritchardOllie, great to hear from you! I'm also subscribed to your RSS feed. I'm not 100% happy with Feedly myself, but I've not yet found a better alternative... Thanks for your input as well. If I have time later this year I might make some tweaks to the structure of the blog that will help me feel like I can write more about what I want to. In the meantime, happy new year to you! All the best for 2023.
1.1.2023 21:55Comment on 20 years of blogging by Duncan StephenAt last, the eldest (I believe) gets to feel like the youngest! I read the other week that Christine from Sidepodcast was celebrating 20 years, which inevitably led me to thinking about my 20th coming up next year. So it is with thanks you are also there before me. I remember fondly the good old days of blogging, and as you mentioned, of also having the time to write. By as time will always march forwards, along with our lives, our interests will develop and evolve. Personally I have no issue skipping over the UX-centric articles and I’m just pleased you occasionally do find the time to update. By the way, I subscribe to your RSS; Feedly just about works for me. You have asked your audience why they read your work, but perhaps the better question might be of yourself: what do you enjoy writing about the most? PS. Best wishes for 2023, hope the little one is keeping you on your toes.
31.12.2022 16:47Comment on 20 years of blogging by OllieThanks Stéphanie for your comment and input. Have a happy new year!
31.12.2022 15:03Comment on 20 years of blogging by Duncan StephenI didn’t realise you had been doing this for 20 years! I do enjoy reading your posts. Like Neil, I would not read on F1 but, if you have categories clearly marked then I know to skip what I’m not interested in. I think you should write about whatever you want, I know I do ahahaha! All the best for 2023, and keep writing!
31.12.2022 08:19Comment on 20 years of blogging by Stéphanie KrusIn reply to <a href="https://duncanstephen.net/20-years-of-blogging/#comment-195418">Neil Scott</a>. Neil, thank you for your comment and for your kind words! I did at one point have a few different blogs covering different topics, but I felt like my readership was dispersed, and it was sometimes hard to draw a solid line between the different topics. One thought I had was to set up my website to make it easier to follow certain types of post (by category and post type), but that also seems to put too much of the burden on the readers.
31.12.2022 07:59Comment on 20 years of blogging by Duncan StephenCongratulations on the 20th anniversary of your blog! would be interested to know why you follow this blog and what you’d like to see more of in the future. It seems to me that the fundamental tension in blogging is between personal expression and cultivating an audience. The early days of blogging were all about personal expression, however the bloggers who became really successful were the ones who focused on a specific topic. I first heard about you through the UX community and we have been delighted to get you to speak at UX Glasgow. I can easily imagine you being a UX thought-leader type blogger, but what a shame it would be to have your expression constrained by your audience expectations. I would probably never read a post on F1 but don’t mind skipping over them, so I guess that you should just keep on posting when you want on whatever topic you want. Would you ever consider creating a separate blog to focus on one topic?
31.12.2022 07:25Comment on 20 years of blogging by Neil Scott[…] publishing is having another moment right now. The new Twitter CEO’s mishandling of a service that accelerated the death of blogging, and that many have held close to their hearts for 15 years, […]
30.12.2022 22:33Comment on One twit can make a service a dodo by 20 years of blogging — Duncan StephenToday 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?
30.12.2022 22:2520 years of blogging[…] Image credit: Duncan Stephen […]
29.11.2022 15:53Comment on Your design ikigai by Why I started K-tec - K-tec UKGlad to hear it Roger!
8.11.2022 20:40Comment on Aberystwyth University by Duncan StephenNumber 1 on my “Brutalism in Aberystwyth” tour
8.11.2022 12:20Comment on Aberystwyth University by Roger BoyleI have complicated feelings about the apparent imminent demise of Twitter in the hands of a reckless owner.
6.11.2022 22:35One twit can make a service a dodoVicky, it's so great to hear from you! I think I've said to you before that I'm not sure I would have come across that job and applied for it unless you sent it to me. So thank you again for encouraging me and setting me off on the first big step of my career. And it's great to hear that you have worked with User Vision as well, and that we did a good job! :-D
5.10.2022 20:42Comment on 12 years in higher education web and user experience management by Duncan StephenWow, congratulations on your new role! I remember sending you that link to the St Andrews job all those years ago when we were fellow bloggers, you’ve come such a long way! I was also lucky enough to have worked with the UV guys when I was at Careers Scotland and they did a brilliant job for us. Best of luck, Duncan,
5.10.2022 15:54Comment on 12 years in higher education web and user experience management by VickyThank you for your comment and for your kind words Chris. I'm looking forward to this latest chapter!
29.8.2022 21:00Comment on 12 years in higher education web and user experience management by Duncan StephenWhat a great summary of your career and seeing your path of spotting opportunities and building skills to suit your interest along the way. And of course I'm thrilled that the latest chapter finds you with User Vision! Looking forward to putting your skills to work on client and internal projects Duncan
29.8.2022 08:54Comment on 12 years in higher education web and user experience management by Chris Rourke[…] But with the Learn Foundations project, I was able to use my user experience skills to make a direct impact on how the university teaches. It was immensely fulfilling to be able to have that sort of influence, far beyond the website and into virtual classrooms. I also had the privilege of speaking about Learn Foundations at the UCD Gathering conference. […]
22.8.2022 21:40Comment on Speaking at UCD Gathering by 12 years in higher education web and user experience management — Duncan StephenToday I have started a new job. But while I'm looking forward, I have also been reflecting, as this moment marks my first real move away from higher education. Despite the differing natures of the three organisations I worked for, there were many parallels across them.
22.8.2022 21:4012 years in higher education web and user experience managementOver the summer my user experience team at the University of Edinburgh had the wonderful opportunity to work with a Behavioural Insights (Nudge) Intern. There are lots of parallels between behavioural science and human-centred approaches. Nudge models give us the opportunity to bring an extra level of formality to our approaches. Working with a behavioural […]
21.8.2022 15:32Nudge in user experience — Website and Communications BlogYesterday I completed my first 5k run since I broke my ankle exactly one year ago. It was on the first ever Holyrood parkrun.
17.7.2022 20:58Ouch to 5kThis post on my team’s blog outlines why and how we have moved away from using personas to behavioural archetypes. Existing personas had served the team well for over 10 years. But with our work to reimagine the future of our web services, and our attention turning to the development of a new Web Publishing […]
24.5.2022 20:59From personas to behaviour modes — Website and Communications BlogBecoming a parent is a huge privilege. But it’s no secret that it’s also hard work. You don’t plan to break your ankle during the first year of your child’s life.
31.3.2022 09:15Half a year on parental leave with a broken ankleHow often do *you* buy Valentine's Day gifts? More often than once a week? Less often than once a month? Stop making people complete terrible surveys that you won't even be able to interpret the results of!
18.2.2022 17:36How often do YOU buy Valentine’s Day gifts?We have a fascinating opportunity for a University of Edinburgh undergraduate student to join our team as an intern this summer. The job has a cool title: nudge intern.
10.2.2022 15:35Could you be our nudge intern?I have been interviewed for the podcast UX Soup. The host Chris Schreiner was interested in the User Experience Service’s work at the University of Edinburgh. He spoke with me about: how the consultancy model works in a higher education context the history of our service the projects we get involved with the methodologies we […]
8.2.2022 14:50UX in universities — UX SoupFor the past two years, a group of service designers have been researching and understanding the state of service design practice in Scotland. Angela F Orviz, Serena Nüsing, Stéphanie Krus and Vinishree Verma have been doing this in their spare time and with no funding. Their insights are fascinating reading. The study shows how far […]
1.2.2022 13:29Practitioner Stories — A self-initiated research project exploring service design practiceWhat’s most surprising about the metaverse is just how lacking in ambition it is. This is a half-hearted rehash of a 30-year-old idea.
11.1.2022 12:22Awooga! The metaverse was better 29 years agoI return to work regularly today for the first time in almost 25 weeks
5.1.2022 11:34I return to work regularly today for the first time in almost 25 weeksConsistency is often seen as a slam-dunk argument in favour of an initiative. But if you don’t know what you want to a design to be consistent with — and why — then consistency risks confusing your users.
9.11.2021 10:07Be usable, not consistent, not uniformMany designers talk about user-centred design. But design approaches alone aren’t sufficient to ensure we are human-centred. Design approaches can be used carelessly — or even maliciously — to centre the designer and sideline the user.
21.10.2021 10:35Design approaches aren’t sufficient to be human-centredOccasionally I make my own oat milk. When I run out of oat milk, I ask Google Assistant to remind me later in the day to make oat milk. It normally misunderstands me. Interestingly, it misunderstands me in a variety of different ways.
27.9.2021 20:15List of things Google Assistant thinks I want to do instead of make oat milkHave you ever been told that by doing human-centred work you're stepping on someone else's toes? I have heard it a number of times. More and more people are exploring the apparent overlaps between human-centred approaches and other disciplines.
23.8.2021 10:27Overlaps between user experience and other disciplines — a benefit, not a problemJoin me at next week’s UX Glasgow ask us anything event. I will be on a panel of eight human-centred professionals answering your burning questions about user experience, interaction design, user research, content design and service design. You’ll have the opportunity to join two or three breakout sessions with rooms for your choice of topic. […]
30.7.2021 10:21Ask us anything — UX GlasgowAt the weekend I broke my ankle while playing bubble football on a stag do.
22.7.2021 21:19I’ve broken my ankleInnovation falls flat when it doesn’t respond to a human need. Use human-centred approaches to understand people’s fundamental motivations and needs. These are the stabilising forces for innovation.
2.7.2021 09:42Pace layers in experience design — Stabilise innovation by understanding people’s needsIt is difficult to find a phrase that exactly describes my work and the way I approach it. I’ve started to talk about human-centred approaches. This post explains what I mean by that.
18.6.2021 12:50Why I talk about human-centred approachesHave you ever participated in a user engagement session designed for you to share your views, but felt that you weren’t properly included, or that your views wouldn’t be acted on? Fed up with bad surveys and poorly planned focus groups? Most of us want to engage with our users and stakeholders. We all want […]
19.5.2021 08:23How to avoid common mistakes in user engagement — Website and Communications Blog...and what I don’t mean by that.
12.5.2021 08:29Why content is more important than codeThe second of my two posts on my work team’s blog about UCD Gathering, the remote conference I attended in October. This blog post covers the third theme I wanted to highlight: how we can better demonstrate the business impact of human-centred approaches.
6.5.2021 08:13Demonstrating the impact of human-centred approaches — Further reflections from the UCD Gathering conference — Website and Communications BlogBack in October, I had the opportunity to attend the UCD Gathering conference, a new virtual event for practitioners of user-centred design in all its forms. Over on my work blog, I have published the first of two posts reflecting on what I learned. This first post covers two themes: Being aware of bias, and […]
29.4.2021 08:00Lessons on readability and bias — Reflections from the UCD Gathering conference — Website and Communications Blog