The UX Level-Up

Dan Brown is the kind of person who will walk into your organization, look at your product, and immediately see the structural problems nobody else will name — because he's been doing exactly that for enterprise teams for over two decades. After 18 years co-founding 8Shapes, he now runs Curious Squid Design Lab, where he focuses on product information architecture and the deep craft work that most teams are too rushed to do.In this episode of The UX Level-Up Podcast, Sophia and Dan get into a tension that's been building for years — information architects and product designers are working in the same problem space and barely talking to each other, and AI is about to make that very, very expensive. They talk about what actually goes wrong on teams that skip the structural work, why the frenzy to use AI tools is adding pressure instead of removing it, and what Dan said at a recent workshop that made Sophia write it down on the spot.LINKS:Dan's newsletter, Spilling Ink: https://curioussquid.substack.com/The Unchecked Podcast: https://unchecked.buzzsprout.com/Connect with Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmbrown/Find out more about Dan: https://www.curious-squid.comContinue the conversation in the OOUX Forum: https://forum.ooux.com/posts/dan-brown-product-ia-with-ai-as-the-ultimate-level-upConnect with Sophia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiav/Follow Sophia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiavux/Check out the OOUX Website: https://ooux.comFollow Sophia on Medium: https://sophiavux.medium.comInterested in training your team on OOUX? Book a call here: https://calendly.com/ooux/opportunityGet on the Cohort 12 waitlist: https://ooux.com/certification

Jon Alderink is a UX consultant with experience in Industrial IoT, where he’s worked on complex machine software systems, and he previously worked at Twist Think. He has also worked as a color artist for Marvel and DC, and recently created his own website, Norn Forge, where he’s been experimenting with OOUX, AI workflows, and connected tools. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Jon talk about why AI can generate screens but still struggles to design the system underneath, how OOUX helped Jon’s team move faster and make better product decisions, and how designers can use tools like Notion, Claude, and schema markup without offloading the critical thinking that makes their work valuable. LINKS:Be one of our Scholars! Connect with Jon on LinkedIn Check out Jon’s Website - Norn Forge Continue the conversation in the OOUX Forum

Mandi Geiselman has worked as Senior UX Designer at Autodesk, where she designs for complex media & entertainment tools (like Maya and 3DS Max), and she is an Advanced OOUX Strategist who’s created resources on building an OOUX community of practice inside big organizations. In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Mandi talk about OOUXing Horizon Forbidden West, why game UX isn’t about “making it easy,” and how bases, extensions, and conditional logic can make even the most complex systems more understandable (and more shareable for teams).LINKS: Join the OOUX Forum Connect with Mandi 💪 Get access to the free training and get 20 strategies to level up your UX practice! OOUX.com/levelup Continue the conversation in the forum

Elena Haskins is the founder of Anele UX Studio, where she helps B2B companies design clearer, more intuitive software across industries ranging from early-stage startups to enterprise giants like Prudential, Party City, and the NFL. She’s also an Advanced OOUX Certified practitioner—one of the earliest Cohorts to complete the training—and a sought-after workshop facilitator known for making complex OOUX concepts feel accessible, even fun.In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Elena dig into how to teach OOUX without overwhelming people, why asking sharper questions can instantly elevate your UX practice, and how Elena bridges the gap between designers and developers using a stripped-down, practical ORCA workflow. They also explore client-friendly documentation, role-based prioritization, and Elena’s signature philosophy: people stick around when you make them feel smarter—not confused.Links:Connect with Elena on LinkedIn Check out Elena's WebsiteRead "A List Apart: Object-Oriented UX" ArticleExplore the Throughline Conference program (Jan 29–30) - throughlineconf.com - Use the discount code: OOUX50 (get $50 off)Continue the conversation on the OOUX Forum!

Ryan Young and Kayla Ferris are Certified OOUX Strategists and UX leaders at P3+Uplift, an IT consulting firm based in Des Moines, Iowa. Ryan serves as Senior Director of Product and Design, while Kayla is a UX and Product Designer and mentor for the OOUX Certification Program. In this episode of the UX Level-Up Podcast, Sophia talks with Ryan and Kayla about how OOUX became P3’s “test-driven design” process, why it helps them ramp up on complex projects at lightning speed, and how mapping objects with clients—even those with PhDs in microbiology—turns confusion into clarity. They also share real stories of saving weeks of rework and being told they knew more about their clients’ businesses than ten-year veterans.LINKS: A List Apart: Object-Oriented UX — https://alistapart.com/article/object-oriented-ux/Learn more about OOUX Certification — https://ooux.com/certificationContinue the conversation on the OOUX Forum!

Allie Ofisher has worked as a UX consultant across AgTech and nonprofit product spaces, teaches the OOUX Representation Round in Foundations, and co-hosts the YouTube series “OOUX: We Did It Again.” In this episode of the podcast, Sophia and Allie talk about using OOUX since 2020 to navigate the trickiest projects, why designing against the four UX “fails” (especially masked objects) helps teams onboard and audit existing products quickly, and how reverse-engineering Representation first—with intentional choices in shapes, labels, and attributes—keeps designs clear and resilient.LINKS:Allie Ofisher https://www.allieofisher.com/• Connect with Allie Ofisher on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allieofisher• OOUX We did it Again https://www.youtube.com/@OOUXwediditagainContinue the conversation on the OOUX Forum!

After leading a major gov site launch, Philippe Fara is back to share how OOUX helped him deliver better outcomes with less chaos. From mastering the ORCA Process to mentoring others, he spills the tea on scaling UX strategy, building confidence, and making complexity intuitive.OOUX LINKS:Check out Philippe's last appearance on the UX Level-Up Podcast!Admire Philippe's work on Renfrewshire.gov.ukJoin the waitlist for the Self-Paced OOUX Masterclass!Continue the conversation on the OOUX Forum!

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 headquarters. LINKS: Sign up for ⁠⁠The Self-Paced OOUX Masterclass⁠⁠. Connect with Ewelina on LinkedIn!