The two broad cases, data- and content-based applications, differ substantially in the fact that data case applications are abstracted first before they cross any system boundary while for content cases it is the system itself which has to map application content into some data-based technology. Through application analysis and software design we are aware of the difficulties of such mappings. In an interdisciplinary project with our Art History colleagues who are working in the subject area of “Political Iconography” we are gaining substantial insight into their Subject-Oriented Working (SOWing) needs and into initial requirements for a SOWing environment. In this paper we outline the project, its basic models, their generalization as well as our initial experiences with prototypical SOWing implementations. We emphasizes the conceptual and terminological aspects of our approach, sketch some of the technical requirements of a generic SOWing software platform and relate our work to various XML-based activities.