typologydriven

Typologydriven is an approach that centers typologies—the organized sets of type classifications—as the primary driver of analysis, design, and decision making. The term blends typology, the study of types and their relationships, with driven, to signal that decisions are anchored in predefined type categories rather than being solely data- or narrative-driven.

Practitioners begin by selecting or constructing a typology appropriate to the domain, then map contexts, artifacts, or users to the typological types. For each type, they derive specific constraints, features, or behaviors and ensure the overall solution accommodates inter-type relationships. The approach is iterative, with validation against real-world cases and the typology refined as needed.

Typologydriven is used in various fields. In software engineering and product design, it guides architecture and user experience by tailoring components and flows to typological categories. In linguistics and anthropology, typologies of languages, cultures, or social roles can shape comparative analyses. In information architecture and taxonomy work, typology-driven methods structure navigation and classification around core type groups.

Benefits include coherence with domain knowledge, clearer communication among stakeholders, and the ability to anticipate type-specific needs. Potential drawbacks include the risk of over-relying on an initial typology, which may bias solutions or overlook atypical cases, and the challenge of maintaining typologies as domains evolve.

Typologydriven is related to conceptually adjacent ideas such as taxonomy-driven classification, domain-driven design, and type-driven development, and it emphasizes alignment between classification schemes and practical outcomes.