Good instincts in software and UX don't come from following guidelines, they come from learning to read the structure beneath the surface. This collection draws on a systems-oriented approach, architectural principles, and real project experience to develop that deeper design perspective. The opening post uses a specific CMS project as its lens, but the principles it surfaces apply anywhere you're building on top of something you don't fully own – which is most of software development, and a lot of design work beyond it.
What you'll learn:
- Nine architectural principles that apply as much to UX design as to code
- How a systems-oriented perspective explains why some tools feel coherent and others feel like they're fighting you
- Why the structure of how you organize content is itself a design decision
- How to recognize when friction is diagnostic – pointing at a structural problem, not just an implementation one
Posts in this pack:
- **The Architecture Beneath the User Experience: Design Lessons from the Grav Helios Course Hub**
Nine principles that emerged from one CMS project, with each one circling back to the same question: where does this complexity actually belong? Explored from both a developer and UX perspective.
- **From Components to Connections: How Docsify-This Embodies Systems-Oriented Design**
Revisiting Donella Meadows' Thinking in Systems through the lens of an open publishing tool. Why changing structure changes behaviour, and what that means for how you design.
Explore other topic packs:
🌱 Sustainable Open Source Projects Pack - Build projects you can maintain in the long run
🎯 **Project Clarity Framework Pack** - Keep projects focused for both developers and users
🧡 Building Open Source with Heart Pack - Foster projects that users and contributors enjoy
Or: View all of Paul’s blog posts →