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From Chaos to Clarity

How OOUX Transformed Our UX Team

The views expressed here are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Paychex.

Two months into managing a new team, I started noticing key challenges that were holding us back from working efficiently and effectively. Communication gaps between design, product, and development were causing friction. Collaboration wasn’t as seamless as it could be. Designers were jumping into Figma too quickly, skipping over information architecture, sketching, and structured thinking. I wanted our team to slow down, think critically about structure, and be more intentional in our design process.

When a new lead (Freddy) joined the team, I shared my vision for improving our space, outlining these challenges and what I wanted to change. We discussed different process improvements, exploring ways to streamline our workflow. But then he asked a question that stood out:

“Have you considered OOUX?”

I had tried OOUX before at another company, but it never really gained traction. I saw the potential, but I wasn’t convinced it would stick. He was. He believed in OOUX wholeheartedly and was confident that, if implemented the right way, it could transform how we worked.

More than anything, he wanted to take ownership of it. And I think that’s what made the difference — having someone passionate enough to carry the torch. So, we mapped out an approach: how we would introduce it, train the team, and apply it in a way that would create real impact.

He asked if he could take the lead in driving the initiative. And honestly, who was I to say no? A lead stepping up to champion a project that aligned perfectly with my vision for the team? That was exactly the kind of leadership we needed.

And with that, we kicked off our experiment with OOUX.

Step 1: Laying the Foundation with Training

We knew that if we wanted OOUX to work, we had to build a shared understanding across the team. We started by having every designer on our team go through a Udemy course on OOUX by Sophia Prater.

Once everyone had completed the training (or while they were still working through it), we held all-team discussions. These sessions were crucial because they allowed the team to:

• Discuss what they learned.
• Raise challenges and ask questions.
• Ensure everyone had a shared understanding of the OOUX framework and how to apply it.

To further support the team, our lead created an Information Architecture (IA) template and system directly in Figma. This gave designers a structured way to build their OOUX frameworks right in the tool they were already comfortable with — focused entirely on objects, relationships, and structure, not UI design.

By taking the time to solidify our knowledge — and giving the team tools designed for this kind of thinking — we set ourselves up for success before diving into practical application.

Step 2: Applying OOUX in Practice

Training was just the first step. To make OOUX stick, we needed to integrate it into our workflow. Instead of having designers apply OOUX in isolation, our lead suggested pairing up designers.

Here’s how it worked:

• Each designer applied the OOUX framework to their project before diving into UI design.
• Ironically, we still built the framework in Figma — but not for UI. No pixel pushing, no fancy gradients, just pure structure and relationships. (Yes, I was trying to avoid designers jumping into Figma… by working in Figma. The irony is not lost on me.)
• Once their framework was complete, designers paired up to review and provide feedback.
• Every few weeks, we rotated pairs, making sure designers got fresh perspectives and continued refining their skills — kind of like musical chairs, but with fewer bruises.

This approach helped designers slow down and think structurally before designing visually. It forced us to focus on objects, relationships, and workflows — not just screens.

One of our designers shared how this shift helped:

“OOUX helped me to understand better the complexity of what devs deal with every day — how they think about products and functionalities. It’s very similar to UX, but at the same time very different. So having a tool to speak the same language or at least understand a little more about their struggles has been great.”

Another added:

“OOUX keeps me from jumping into UI too quickly. It forces me to step back and think about the structure first — how it can be proposed and how everything connects. It’s a great tool to keep product people focused on concepts instead of just how something will look.”

The Turning Point: A Common Language Across Teams

As we started using OOUX, something magical happened: it became a bridge between design, product, and development.

Our product owners, already familiar with object-oriented thinking from working with developers, quickly grasped the OOUX framework. That meant they could communicate more effectively with designers. Developers also found it easier to understand our designs because OOUX aligned with their mental models.

Suddenly, we had a common language that cut across disciplines.

• Miscommunication faded.
• Friction disappeared.
• Decisions became clearer and faster.

With everyone aligned from the start, our projects moved more efficiently, and design iterations became more purposeful.

The Results: A More Effective and Strategic UX Process

Before OOUX, our team had two major pain points:

• Communication gaps that caused misalignment and slowed progress.
• Rushing into Figma without fully understanding the problem space.

A big part of the issue was that we were working on the concrete when we should have been focusing on the abstract. We were designing screens before we even understood the underlying structure, relationships, and flows. This led to frustration, rework, and projects that got derailed because we were building too soon and thinking too late.

OOUX changed that. Instead of jumping into UI, we started having discussions around the abstract and structural — conversations that saved us countless hours of frustration. By aligning on objects, relationships, and interactions first, we eliminated a lot of the guesswork that used to slow us down.

The impact was clear:

• Projects moved faster because we had clarity from the beginning.
• Collaboration became seamless across design, product, and development.
• Designers shifted their mindset from UI-first to structure-first, leading to more thoughtful and scalable solutions.
• High-impact work led to recognition. Two of our designers were tapped for major projects in other areas of the company, and they brought OOUX with them, helping spread its influence.
• OOUX is now scaling across our organization. Those same designers, along with our lead, are beginning to teach OOUX to others, amplifying its impact.

By focusing on structure before screens, we didn’t just improve our process — we transformed how we think about design.

Step 3: Expanding OOUX Across the Organization

What started as an experiment within our team is now evolving into something bigger. As mentioned above, the same lead who championed OOUX from the start is now working with two designers who went through this transformation firsthand. These designers have taken OOUX into their new teams and are actively applying it to their own projects, proving its value beyond our initial group.

But the impact doesn’t stop there.

The three of them — our lead and these two designers — are now preparing to train designers across the entire organization. What was once a small shift in our team’s workflow is now scaling into an org-wide initiative. They will be leading training sessions, sharing best practices, and helping other designers embrace OOUX to improve their own processes.

This is the next evolution of OOUX for us — not just a framework we use within a single team, but a foundational approach that will shape how UX is done across the company. The goal is simple: empower more teams to think structurally, communicate more effectively, and build better experiences.

By focusing on structure before screens and aligning teams before execution, OOUX didn’t just change how we design — it changed how we work together. And now, it’s about to change how the entire organization approaches UX.

Conclusion: Why OOUX Worked for Us

OOUX didn’t just improve our UX design — it transformed how we worked as a team.

• It helped us slow down before designing, preventing rushed decisions and wasted effort.
• It forced us to focus on structure and relationships before UI, leading to more scalable and thoughtful solutions.
• It bridged communication gaps between design, product, and development, creating a shared understanding.
• It gave us a common language that aligned teams and eliminated confusion.

But what truly made it work? Ownership and impact.

This wasn’t something forced on the team. Someone took ownership, championed it, and helped others see the value. As designers started applying OOUX, they felt the impact firsthand — they weren’t just told to use it; they wanted to use it because they saw how much easier and more effective it made their work.

What started as an experiment became an essential part of our workflow. OOUX showed us that the right framework doesn’t just improve design — it can fundamentally change how teams collaborate.

For any UX team struggling with communication issues, misalignment, or designers rushing into UI too quickly, OOUX is worth exploring. It brings clarity, structure, and efficiency — and in our case, it helped us build stronger partnerships, better products, and a more cohesive team.