How to level up organisation’s UX Maturity model? How to move up from Limited to Emergent stage?

A topic that interests me a lot lately is UX maturity, specifically the first stages, Absent, Limited and Emergent. Therefore I decided to include all the findings from recent studies and discuss openly the challenges and the potential next steps towards user-driven organisations.

Definition of UX maturity model

First of all, UX (user experience) maturity model is a framework for identifying how well a company designs and delivers quality user experiences to customers.

In an ideal world all organizations should have reached the peak UX maturity which means that they would only deliver fully user-centric products. But is it that easy to embrace such a mindset where the competition is here to knock the door while the tech industry keep evolving rapidly with AI and Chat GPT?

Well, it is not a piece of cake! We all know deeply that business comes first whatever the costs..

However, on the other side, Nielsen Norman study revealed that ?86% of people are willing to pay more for a better user experience, and?74% of businesses believe quality UX is vital for increasing sales.

The Stages of UX Maturity?

The 6 stages of UX maturity are:

1. Absent:?UX is ignored or nonexistent.
2. Limited:?UX work is rare, done haphazardly, and lacking importance.
3. Emergent:?The UX work is functional and promising but done inconsistently and inefficiently.
4. Structured:?The organization has semisystematic UX-related methodology that is widespread, but with varying degrees of effectiveness and efficiency.
5. Integrated:?UX work is comprehensive, effective, and pervasive.
6. User-driven:?Dedication to UX at all levels leads to deep insights and exceptional user-centred –design outcomes

Absent

In short, a company at this stage is either?oblivious to UX or believes it does not need it. At this stage, UX work is not planned, let alone incorporated into the organization's vision. The few people at the organization who think about users are likely ignored or dismissed.

Organizations at stage 1 do not include UX in their mission, objectives, or priorities. Schedules and development processes make no mention of UX and may even run counter to iterative design and other good UX practices. Further, there is no budget for UX.

The UX process at stage 1 isn’t even a thought. There are no design or research methods used. Often the design is created and enforced by departments and teams with no UX expertise or involvement and there is no UX-evaluation process, even at the end of the development circle.? In these scenarios, because UX isn’t a formal competency yet, there is no design and research collaboration. The only common thread related to UX is not knowing or caring about UX.

Limited

At this stage an organization approaches UX erratically. Small UX efforts are made, usually for one of three reasons: legal necessity, a UX-aware individual who takes initiative, or an experimental team that attempts UX methods.

Organizations at this stage may show some UX awareness and engage in occasional UX activities, UX work is not done routinely, nor is it consistently well-executed or incorporated into strategy and planning. UX falls low among priorities. There's no official recognition of user experience as a discipline and there are no UX-dedicated roles, processes, or budget.When a UX budget exists in limited-maturity organizations, it is allocated and not used methodically.

In the Limited stage organisations might reference users in their vision, but users are not their primary focus. User needs and behaviours are not core to the vision. When prioritising work, stakeholder or client requests dictate what gets done.

Typically, stage-2 organizations do have some vague awareness of what UX is — most employees have at least heard of it. However, that understanding is often incorrect, inconsistent, or limited across the organization. For example, most employees might believe that UX work “just makes things pretty.” The organisation lacks understanding of the multifaceted benefits of a user-centred design process.

How to Level Up to Stage 3

To move up from stage 2 to stage 3, focus on two key maturity factors: culture and process.

Improving Culture

A big challenge in stage 2 is the fundamental lack of understanding across the organisation. To make people care enough about UX to actually learn about it, you have to tell them?why?they should care. Think about the individual motivations of stakeholders and leaders. For example, if a VP is highly concerned with cost cutting, he might pay attention if he sees how better UX could reduce calls to customer support.

Since you have limited resources, prioritise your efforts. Think about which UX projects could have the biggest impact on what stakeholders value. One or two high-visibility projects can act as case studies highlighting what UX can offer.

If you are (or someone else is) currently the only person advocating for UX change, that’s a big problem. First, it’s hard to be the only one dragging an organisation towards better UX. Also, it’s a high risk for the company — if that one person leaves, so does the momentum. In such cases, it’s important to recruit more UX advocates and champions. UX champions in leadership roles are ideal, since they often have reach or influence. However, even people without leadership roles can achieve change, as long as they’re determined and strategic in their efforts.?

Improving Process

The second major factor that stage-2 organisations need to prioritise is process — the methods for doing UX work. Invest time in learning how to do design and research activities correctly, organising a team of multiple people, and beginning to establish routines and resources.

All in all, to progress from this stage, organisations should?focus on getting people to listen?by showcasing the small UX-related wins that have already occurred, compiling positive case studies, and cultivating relationships with UX champions or UX ambassadors so UX can gain traction.