Understanding UX Maturity

Great user experience (UX) makes companies succeed. Apart from the price and other considerations like security, a superior user experience is one of the main reasons why buyers pick one product or service over another. Even in terms of price, 80% of customers are prepared to spend more for a greater user experience.

This is, why hiring user experience specialists and adopting user-centered design are becoming more popular among businesses. Over the last few decades, the general maturity of UX design in developing digital solutions has increased dramatically.

However, not all companies have accepted and implemented UX design at the same level. This also refers to the experience and the mindset of the design team.

The requirement for a more comprehensive and intrinsic understanding of UX grows as a career in UX advances. This entails looking at the larger picture of the role of UX in a particular product, team, and its value for the entire business.

In this article, we're elaborating on the concept of UX maturity, going through the stages of UX maturity, and sharing some tips on how to improve UX processes.

What's UX maturity?

UX maturity is basically the level at which your company understands users. To be more precise, a company's willingness and capacity to offer user-centered design is measured by its UX maturity.

It includes the company's management, staff and culture's predisposition to accept and enhance UX processes. UX maturity also refers to the accuracy and reliability of user research techniques and design processes.

With a UX maturity framework, a company can assess the quality and performance of its user research techniques. The more advanced their practices are, the more likely it is for them to include results in UX design processes and design more user-centric products.

The UX maturity model

Jakob Nielsen created one of the first UX maturity models in 2006, identifying eight stages of UX maturity. Each level addressed UX presence in various organizational situations, ranging from firms that did not do any user research at all to those that had attained peak emphasis.

In the meantime, a lot has changed, and UX processes have been modified, so the Nielsen Norman Group updated the framework to help modern companies determine their UX maturity. Today, it has six stages, and here's what it looks like:

1. Absent

The organization is either unaware of what UX is or feels that it is unnecessary to focus on a user-centered design. At this point, the only thing that can be done is to start incorporating UX into the vision of the company. Management needs to become more open to new ideas and think about letting traditional processes go.

2. Limited

People understand what UX is, but they lack a well-thought-out plan. The management might be prepared to accept UX, or it may have become a requirement due to other factors. Employees should be trained in a user-centered manner to go past this level.

3. Emergent

UX planning and strategy resources are almost certainly available inside the company at this point. Their efforts, though, may not be as beneficial. The reason could be a lack of understanding of the importance of UX for a business and the insufficiency of resources they devote to UX.

4. Structured

Teams, skills, and technologies for user experience are well-developed. The organization understands that UX strategy and methods may assist in determining success. The management is open to changing processes and adopting new tech. However, challenges still prevent the company from becoming completely user-centered.

5. Integrated

The company has a well-defined UX strategy and UX goals in place. Their staff is committed to serving their customers in the manner they desire. The managers are responsive to innovative user-generated ideas. They understand that providing people with what they need will help them achieve the company's genuine goals and objectives.

6. User-driven

Every project at a company begins with a user-centered approach. Everyone in the company is dedicated to its customers. Their first step in producing any product or new feature is to perform user research. In a company like this, UX is an essential part of everyday tasks.

How to improve the UX maturity of your company?

Organizations which identify themselves within the first three groups are organizations with low UX maturity. Organizations with high UX maturity are working in stages 4 to 6.

After you've have determined the level your team is at regarding UX maturity, you can begin to consider how you might raise your organization's overall UX maturity level. Here are some things you should consider during the process.

• Share the vision. A vision, which comprises strong user-centered concepts, which is consciously and strategically articulated, and which directs the whole company, is typical for high-maturity companies.
• Make UX an essential part of planning. Businesses with high UX maturity employ a standard process for project prioritization, monitor user experience quality on a regular basis and let good research drive initiatives.
• Explore new research methods. Throughout the project cycle, high-maturity firms employ a number of design and research methodologies. The use of iterative design is frequent, and some companies may even develop new processes, enhance current ones, and set new professional benchmarks.
• Improve collaboration. Collaboration is the key to the success of high UX maturity companies. UX experts frequently collaborate with other positions, and most teams catch up on a regular basis.
• Be consistent. Organizations with a high level of maturity invest in building uniform UX design and research methods, education, knowledge and resources. All assets are shared and improved across the enterprise. This practice guarantees that the design process can be used consistently across teams and projects in the long run.

Constant improvement is key

It's critical to recognize your company's UX maturity so you can evaluate your capabilities and limitations. Moreover, you should keep the practices that are working and try to improve those that aren't effective.

Even if UX work appears to be going well at your company, there are likely things you could be doing better. Always look to enhance the product or service, the creation process, your company's reputation, and the user experience.