As we already mentioned, All companies do not approach UX design in the same way, and the level of UX maturity can vary greatly from one organisation to another.
Let’s take a closer look at the UX design responsibilities within organizations that have a high level of UX maturity.
One defining characteristic of these organisations is their strong focus on design. They recognise that design is not just about making something visually appealing but also about creating meaningful and seamless experiences for users. They invest in building a design-driven culture, where everyone, from product managers to developers, understands and appreciates the role of UX in creating successful products. Stakeholders collaborate closely with designers to find the right balance between technological possibilities, business objectives, and user expectations.
User research and feedback play a vital role in shaping the design process in these organisations. They understand that making assumptions about user needs and preferences can lead to suboptimal solutions. Therefore, they invest time and resources in conducting user research to gain insights into user behaviours, motivations, and pain points. This data-driven approach allows them to make informed design decisions that are grounded in user needs and expectations.
Furthermore,
In an organisation with high design maturity, a design hierarchy is established to facilitate effective decision-making and collaboration throughout the design process. It ensures that design is not isolated but integrated across all levels of the organisation. It promotes collaboration, aligns design with business goals, and priorities the needs and preferences of the users. By establishing this hierarchy, organisations can effectively leverage design to create impactful and user-centered products and services.
Diversity and inclusivity are embraced. These organisations understand that a diverse team brings varied perspectives, leading to more inclusive and innovative design solutions. Continuous learning and professional development are encouraged. High UX maturity organisations invest in training programs, workshops, and conferences to keep their teams updated with the latest industry trends and best practices.
When transitioning to a high UX maturity organisation, it’s important to understand that it may take some time to adapt to their specific processes and ways of working. The organisation may have established design systems, guidelines, and workflows that you need to familiarize yourself with. It may also mean that there are limitations in terms of making drastic design changes or adding your own unique perspective easily. Let’s share some of them.
- Slow decision making: In organisations with high UX maturity, design decisions take more time due to various factors that the UX team considers. The team must carefully evaluate aspects such as overall consistency, different scenarios, feasibility, and budget implications of implementing a design. It’s important to note that these factors can vary depending on the size and complexity of the product being developed. The decision-making process is driven by data, user research, and testing, which require thorough analysis and consensus-building. While this approach improves the quality of design decisions, it can slow down the overall product development process. If you are transitioning from other maturity level organisations, you will definitely feel the inertia.
- Well defined process: Having a well-defined process is a hallmark of high UX maturity organisations. They typically have established workflows and processes in place, which can make it challenging for individuals who wish to introduce new ideas or implement changes. This can be especially true when comparing them to low or medium UX maturity organisations.
- Designs: When creating designs within a high UX maturity organisation, it is important to ensure that they align with the organisations established design system or adhere to the branding guidelines specific to the brand. This means that the visual design should stay within the boundaries and guidelines set by the design system or branding guidelines in place. The process of updating guidelines to incorporate new interactions and components may require a significant amount of time.
Overall, By understanding and navigating these considerations, you can effectively integrate into the organisation and contribute to its success.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you need to discuss this topic further.