What Northbase Does
Northbase provides systematic, data-driven analysis of enterprise UX patterns.
We audit the most-used enterprise systems—Notion, Slack, Figma, Linear, GitHub, Stripe, and others—and document exactly what they do. Not what design blogs say they should do. What they actually do.
Every pattern analysis includes:
- •Quantified insights: "8 of 10 systems use illustration + CTA for first-use empty states"
- •Microcopy patterns: Exact copy, word counts, tone analysis, and verb frequency
- •Decision frameworks: Context-based guidance for when to use what
- •Anti-patterns: What to avoid, backed by data showing why it fails
The result: decisions backed by data, not guesswork.
Methodology
Systematic Coverage
Each pattern is researched across the enterprise systems that set industry standards. We document 80-120 instances per pattern—not cherry-picked "best" examples, but comprehensive coverage of how patterns actually appear in context.
Rigorous Quantification
Every claim is verifiable. When we say "8 of 10 systems use this approach," you can see which eight and why. We count components, measure word lengths, categorize tones, and track frequency—turning observations into data.
Microcopy Analysis
Most pattern research ignores the words. We capture exact headlines, body text, and CTAs. We analyze structure ("Create your first X"), length (4-6 words average), tone (encouraging vs. neutral), and verb patterns (Create, Add, Start). This level of copy analysis doesn't exist elsewhere.
30+ Hours Per Pattern
Each pattern takes 30-32 hours of research. That's the real barrier. The work is tedious and time-consuming—which is exactly why designers shouldn't have to do it themselves.
About the Founder
Northbase is built by Jan Haaland.
Jan has spent 15+ years in design—from freelancing to co-founding Folk, a design studio that grew to $1.4M revenue before exit. He's led product design for enterprise companies, where he focused on discovery, systems thinking, and designs that drive measurable outcomes.
In 2015, he started Case Study Club, a newsletter that's grown to 40,000+ designers with sponsors including Airtable, Framer, and Webflow. That community showed him what designers actually struggle with—and how much time gets lost to research that should already exist.
Northbase combines his product design experience, obsession with microcopy, and belief that good decisions should be backed by evidence, not intuition.