Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle: Balancing logic, emotion & credibility
A foundational communication framework mapping three persuasive appeals — ethos, pathos & logos — showing how credibility, emotion & logic interact to shape trust and influence.
Visibility of System Status: Feedback as trust
A usability heuristic principle that requires clear, timely feedback on what a system is doing and how it’s progressing, using communication to keep users informed and reduce uncertainty.
Incentive Distortion: Reward vs Value
Misaligned incentives cause systems to optimise for metrics instead of meaning. When rewards outpace real value, performance looks strong but purpose erodes.
Single-Loop Learning: Error Correction Within Stable Assumptions
Detects and corrects errors without questioning underlying rules — effective when assumptions are valid and context stable.
Focus Hijacked: ADHD vs Broken Workplace Tools
ADHD minds don’t just lose time to broken workplace tools — they lose the energy that makes focus possible. Dysfunction isn’t a personal failing; it’s a systemic drain.
Polish Without Substance: The Hidden Risk of AI Docs
AI can make documentation look immaculate — but polish isn’t proof. When optics replace substance, the result is polished nonsense that collapses under pressure.
Lost Cycles: The Hidden Debt in Productivity
Productivity debt doesn’t always show up as hours lost. It creeps in through broken cycles — wasted momentum, missed opportunities, and energy drained by dysfunction — until you realise your progress has been quietly taxed away.
When Promises Outpace Resources, Dysfunction Wins
Dysfunction doesn’t arrive fully formed — it seeps in when the translation from need to outcome breaks down. Whether it’s a product backlog or a hospital waiting list, the pattern is the same: promises outpace resources, and dysfunction takes hold.
Normalised Dysfunction: The Quiet Crisis in UX
Outlook’s broken search isn’t just an annoyance — it’s a case study in how dysfunction becomes normalised. We adapt, expectations drop, and poor UX becomes the quiet crisis of modern work.
Dopamine-Friendly Story Writing for Agile Teams
Why writing user stories feels harder than it should — and how ADHD-friendly structures can turn your backlog into a source of clarity, not chaos.