Corporate Usability Maturity: Stages 5-8

In summary, it takes about twenty years to move from stage 2 (extremely immature usability) to stage 7 (very mature usability). Companies probably need another twenty years to reach the last stage.

The exact timing obviously differs among organizations. What stays constant is the need to progress through the eight levels in sequence. Start-ups are lucky and can begin the maturity process at stage 3 or stage 4, depending on the founder's previous usability experience. Some companies also include a usability specialist among their first ten hires. Even so, the companies must progress through the upper levels in sequence, just like any more established company.

If your company is currently at a lower maturity level, it might be tempting to try to bootstrap the situation and move directly to one of the higher levels, asking everybody to do everything that's recommended in the full user-centered design process. If you do this, you're doomed. Too many simultaneous changes to an organism will give it a fever. People can't cope with the later stages’ concepts and requirements without time to adjust to the less drastic changes introduced at the earlier stages.

A good metaphor is emerging from a deep dive: You can't go directly to the surface without getting the bends. 

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/process_maturity.html

Comments

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