The Object Model: Three Questions Every Screen Must Answer
On every screen, a user should know how they got here, what to do now, and what to do next.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 92%
Belsky uses a simple diagnostic in product reviews: on any screen or experience the user should be able to answer how did I get here, what do I do now, and what do I do next. A clear object model means clean breadcrumbs and a legible path through the product; the absence of it is a red flag that the team doesn't value getting users through the funnel, no matter how design-driven they claim to be.
Origin
Scott Belsky's product-review heuristic, used both when reviewing Adobe products and when evaluating startups as an angel investor.
Core principles
- 01Every screen must answer three questions: how did I get here, what do I do now, what do I do next.
- 02A coherent object model shows up as clean, clear breadcrumbs through the experience.
- 03A product that is 'all over the place' cannot move users through its funnel.
- 04Claiming to be design-driven while failing the three questions is itself a red flag.
How to run it
- 1
Walk each screen with the three questions
For every screen in a demo or product, ask: how did the user get here, what do they do now, and what do they do next.
Pro tip Use it as a literal checklist during product reviews and startup diligence.
- 2
Trace the breadcrumbs
Confirm there is a clean, clear path connecting screens so the user always understands where they came from and where they are going.
Pro tip If you can't reconstruct the path yourself, neither can a new user.
Watch out A product that feels 'all over the place' will not get people through the funnel.
- 3
Treat failure as a values signal
When a self-described design-driven team can't pass the three questions, read it as evidence they don't prioritize funnel clarity.
Pro tip This doubles as a founder-quality check, not just a UI critique.
In the wild
A team that said it was design-driven and building an incredible product showed Belsky a demo with no clean, clear breadcrumbs or object model for how the thing worked.
→ He read it as a red flag that they didn't value the principle and would never get users through their funnel.
Common mistakes
Confusing visual polish with a coherent object model
A team can call itself design-driven and still ship screens where users can't tell how they arrived or where to go next; polish without breadcrumbs still fails the funnel.
Leaving users unable to find home or help
Belsky notes many products leave you unsure how you got somewhere or how to get home; violating the three questions strands users mid-flow and erodes activation.
Is it for you?
Best for
Product leaders running design reviews and investors assessing whether a product's UX will convert.
Not ideal for
Early exploratory prototypes where the flow is deliberately unsettled and not yet meant to be legible.
From the transcript
“how did I get here? What do I do now? And what do I do next?”
“I feel like every screen and every product experience, you should be able to answer those three questions.”
“there's no clean, clear breadcrumbs and object model for how this thing works. how are they ever going to get people through their funnel?”
From the episode
Lessons on building product sense, navigating AI, optimizing the first mile, and making it through the messy middle
Scott Belsky (Adobe, Behance)