Why didn't they use search? Could it be because it sucked so much? How were users actually finding the things they needed? Had there been any usability testing?
If your UX guy was anything like 90% of the ones I've dealt with, the answer to those questions would all boil down to "don't know, don't care, I'm focusing exclusively on this cool idea I came up with yesterday".
It appears I've been slightly "triggered", my apologies!
Some contexts work better with structured navigation.
One that comes up off the top of my head is the electronic trial master file in FDA submissions.
Because it has a standard structure, users can navigate it faster through the structured navigation than through a freeform search.
I think other contexts this might hold true are when the content is browse oriented (how often do you use search on HN or reddit?) or it's a mobile context where a structured nav would allow less tapping than typing a search query.
If your UX guy was anything like 90% of the ones I've dealt with, the answer to those questions would all boil down to "don't know, don't care, I'm focusing exclusively on this cool idea I came up with yesterday".
It appears I've been slightly "triggered", my apologies!