Object-oriented UX (OOUX): A structured approach to UX design

It isn’t easy to design apps and websites that are simple to use. Too often, designers hyperfocus on the actions users perform on digital products — like tapping buttons or moving between screens — instead of focusing on the actual objects that make up the product.

Sophia Prater noticed this pattern so she came up with object-oriented UX (OOUX), a methodology that focuses on the main objects inside your system before jumping ahead to actions:

She believed the methodology would help designers design clear and organized products. In her view, if you tackle the objects first you then know the actions to give each object, which makes the experience more consistent — when users see an object, they already know what to do with it based on how similar objects worked on other pages.

This article takes a look at her methodology to see how OOUX helps make apps and websites clearer and easier to use.

What is object-oriented UX (OOUX)?

Object-oriented UX (OOUX) is a design methodology that encourages designers to think about a system’s objects, their relationships, and their attributes before diving into user flows and interactions. The goal of this methodology is to align the digital experiences of the user more closely with their mental models by mirroring the way they naturally categorize and interact with information.

How users think in objects and why OOUX works

Humans naturally categorize the world around them based on objects. This cognitive tendency stems from how our brains process and organize information. Instead of thinking in terms of abstract actions, humans normally focus on tangible things (objects) and then understand what they can do with them.

For example, if anytime you enter a library, your brain doesn’t immediately process the experience as a series of actions like “I’ll search, I’ll borrow, I’ll return” (actions-first thinking).

Instead, your brain first recognizes the objects in the environment (the library). Your mind identifies object-based cues like books, bookshelves, a librarian, and a checkout counter.

Once you see those objects, the next steps make sense on their own.

• Books — To borrow or return
• Shelves — To browse for books
• Checkout counter — To check out or return books

The human brain naturally works this way, which is why starting with objects makes a lot of sense in UX design.

Getting started with OOUX

Object-oriented UX (OOUX) is a way to design digital products structured around real-world objects, making interfaces more intuitive and easier to navigate. Instead of jumping straight into screens, buttons, or user flows, OOUX starts by identifying the core objects that make up a system and defining how they interact.

This isn’t meant to replace traditional UX methods, but instead to work alongside them and make them better. OOUX fits well into existing workflows, especially in the early stages of research and planning the information structure.

OOUX works hand-in-hand with other UX research techniques like user interviews and card sorting, which help make sure the objects and relationships are in line with how users think. For example, card sorting can show how users naturally group things, while user interviews can give deeper insight into how users interact with these objects in real life.

One of the best ways to apply OOUX is through the ORCA method, which stands for objects, relationships, calls-to-action, and attributes. This method provides a structured approach to breaking down a digital experience before moving into UI design.

To understand ORCA in action, let’s consider an example of a hypothetical banking app.

1. O: Identify the core objects

Before designing any screens, you need to determine the fundamental objects that make up the system. In a banking app, the primary objects could be:

• Accounts (checking, savings, or credit accounts)
• Transactions (deposits, withdrawals, transfers)
• Users (The account holder managing their finances)
• Recipients (People or businesses that the user sends money to)

These objects are things that users interact with, not actions like “send money” or “pay bills.” Instead of designing screens around tasks, you build the system around objects first.

2. R: Define the relationships between objects

Once you have your objects, you define how they relate to each other. In your banking app:

• A user owns multiple accounts
• Each account contains multiple transactions
• A transaction is linked to a recipient when the user sends money

Thinking about relationships early helps prevent confusion in the interface. For example, if a transaction always belongs to an account, it wouldn’t make sense for a user to see a transaction history without knowing which account it belongs to.

3. C: Define your calls-to-action

Calls-to-action (CTAs) are the actions users can perform on each object. This step helps determine what functionality is needed for each object. In your banking app:

• Accounts — View balance, view transactions, add account”
• Transactions — Send money, deposit funds, withdraw
• Users — Update profile, change password
• Recipients — Add new recipient, edit details

By focusing on the actions tied to objects, you ensure that interactions feel natural. Instead of presenting users with generic actions like “make a payment” on the home screen, the app can guide them by showing transaction options within their selected account, making the experience more intuitive.

4. A: Define attributes for each object

Attributes define the key pieces of information that each object needs to display. Attributes don’t perform actions but provide essential details about the object:

• Accounts — Balance, account type, account number
• Transactions — Amount, date, type, status
• Users — Name, email, linked accounts
• Recipients — Name, bank details, transaction history

By structuring objects with well-defined attributes, the app’s interface becomes clear and predictable. For example, instead of forcing users to navigate deep menus to find their balance, it’s always displayed as an attribute of their account on the dashboard.

Case studies: OOUX in action

Now that you understand the basics, this section analyses Spotify, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube using the ORCA framework (objects, relationships, calls-to-action, and attributes) to see how structuring digital experiences around objects makes them more intuitive.

Spotify: How OOUX organizes music streaming

Spotify structures its experience around objects such as songs, albums, artists, playlists, and users:

These objects serve as the foundation of the interface, allowing users to engage with familiar elements rather than focusing on isolated tasks. This object-oriented approach enhances navigation and makes the music streaming experience more intuitive.

Objects and their relationships:

Spotify’s ecosystem revolves around how these objects relate to one another:

• Songs belong to albums and are created by artists
• Playlists are collections of songs, curated by users or Spotify
• Artists have multiple albums, which contain songs
• Users interact with songs, albums, and playlists by following, curating, and sharing

These relationships ensure seamless exploration, allowing users to move effortlessly between artists, albums, and playlists.

Calls-to-action (CTAs):

Each object in Spotify’s system comes with specific interactions (CTAs):

• Songs — Play, like, download, add to playlist, share
• Albums — Play, save, like songs within the album
• Artists — Follow, view discography, explore similar artists
• Playlists — Play, follow, edit (if owned), share, add songs
• Users — Follow, view playlists, see listening activity

By tying CTAs directly to objects, Spotify ensures that interactions are natural and intuitive, allowing users to perform actions in context without unnecessary friction.

Attributes of each object:

Each object is enriched with attributes that define it:

• Songs — Title, artist, album, duration, popularity
• Albums — Name, artist, release date, tracklist
• Artists — Name, genre, follower count, discography
• Playlists — Name, creator, number of songs, cover image, description
• Users — Profile name, followers, public playlists, recently played

By structuring information around objects, relationships, CTAs, and attributes, Spotify ensures an intuitive, organized, and highly navigable music streaming experience.

Twitter (X): Structuring social interactions with OOUX

X (formerly Twitter) is structured around core objects like tweets, users, threads, and media. Instead of focusing on isolated actions, the platform organizes social interactions around these objects, making it easy for users to engage with content and navigate seamlessly:

Tweets belong to users and can include media or be part of threads. Users engage with tweets through likes, replies, and reposts, creating dynamic conversations. This structured approach ensures content is easily discoverable and interactions remain fluid across the platform.

Objects and their relationships:

X’s social experience is defined by how its core objects relate to each other:

• Tweets are created by users and can contain media (images, videos, GIFs)
• Tweets can belong to threads, forming extended conversations
• Users engage with tweets through likes, replies, reposts, and bookmarks
• Users follow other users to see their Tweets and interactions

These relationships create a dynamic, interconnected platform where content is easily discoverable, and interactions remain fluid.

Calls-to-action (CTAs):

Each object supports specific interactions, allowing users to engage meaningfully:

• Tweets — Like, reply, repost, quote, bookmark, share
• Threads — Expand, reply, repost, bookmark
• Media — View, expand, download, share
• Users — Follow, message, mute, block, report

By aligning CTAs with objects, X ensures users can act directly within their context, making interactions smooth and predictable.

Attributes of each object:

Objects are enriched with attributes that provide essential information:

• Tweets — Text, timestamp, engagement count (likes, replies, reposts), author
• Threads — Number of tweets, author, engagement metrics
• Media — Type (image, video, GIF), caption, source
• Users — Name, handle, bio, follower count, profile picture

Using this object-oriented structure makes social interactions on X more intuitive.

YouTube: Structuring video content with object-oriented UX

YouTube, the most popular video-sharing platform, structures its platform around core objects like videos, channels, playlists, and users. Instead of designing the experience around actions like “watch” or “upload,” YouTube prioritizes objects, making content discovery and engagement intuitive for users:

Videos are the foundation of YouTube. Each video belongs to a channel and can be organized into playlists. Users interact with videos through likes, comments, and shares.

Objects and their relationships:

YouTube’s functionality is built on the relationships between its core objects:

• Videos are created by channels and can be organized into playlists
• Channels upload multiple videos and gain subscribers
• Playlists are collections of videos curated by users or channels
• Users engage with videos through likes, comments, shares, and subscriptions

These relationships make the navigation easy for users to discover.

Calls-to-action (CTAs):

Each object comes with specific interactions to enhance user engagement:

• Videos — Play, like, comment, share, save to playlist, download
• Channels — Subscribe, view videos, turn on notifications, browse playlists
• Playlists — Play all, save, share, add videos
• Users — Subscribe to channels, like and comment on videos, share content

As YouTube ties actions directly to objects, it makes sure that interactions are natural and intuitive for the users.

Attributes of each object:

Objects are enriched with key attributes that provide essential information:

• Videos — Title, duration, views, upload date, description, comments
• Channels — Name, subscriber count, videos, playlists, bio
• Playlists — Name, creator, number of videos, public/private setting
• Users — Subscriptions, watch history, liked videos, comments

This object-oriented structure allows YouTube to create an engaging, easy-to-navigate platform that users can seamlessly explore and interact with content.

Benefits of object-oriented user experience design

OOUX comes with the following key benefits:

• Improved usability – Users find interfaces easier to navigate when they align with real-world concepts, making interactions more intuitive
• Reduced cognitive load – Clearly structured objects help users process information faster, reducing confusion and frustration
• More scalable designs – A well-structured system is easier to expand with new features or content without introducing unnecessary complexity
• Efficient development – Developers benefit from a clear object structure, making implementation smoother, reducing rework, and improving collaboration with designers
• Better content organization – By focusing on objects and their relationships, information is presented in a logical, predictable way, improving content discoverability
• Consistent user experience – Standardizing objects and actions across an interface creates a more cohesive and predictable experience for users

Challenges of object-oriented UX (OOUX)

Even though OOUX offers you a structured way to design user-friendly digital experiences it still has its own set of challenges:

• Changing the design approach – Some designers still think in terms of user flows and interactions instead of objects, so for them to adopt an object-first approach requires a shift in mindset, which might be difficult for designers that are already accustomed to traditional UX methods
• Clearly defining objects – Identifying the right objects and their attributes isn’t really that straightforward. If the objects are structured poorly, objects can lead to confusion instead of clarity
• Working with existing workflows – Many teams follow workflows based on user journeys and wireframes. Incorporating OOUX requires an upfront investment in defining objects before interface design, which can disrupt established processes

Final thoughts

Object-oriented UX (OOUX) is a powerful approach to UX design that prioritizes structure, clarity, and scalability. By focusing on objects, their relationships, actions, and attributes, you can create intuitive and user-friendly experiences that align with users’ mental models.

The ORCA process provides a practical framework for implementing OOUX, making it easier to define digital systems before diving into UI design. While challenges exist, they can be addressed with proper research, visualization, and communication.

As digital products become more complex, OOUX offers a way to simplify the design process while ensuring usability and scalability. Whether designing ecommerce platforms, learning management systems, or enterprise applications, OOUX can help create more structured, efficient, and user-centric experiences.