Day 1 – You Need Your Own Definition of Design Maturity
Design Maturity Gap Analysis — redefine the definition, based on various circumstances in the last few years. Your understanding of your team, easier to find the direction you need to be taking to create a design-led org.
Design Maturity — a measure of how well a business uses design capabilities to create value.
Started with the model (Early 2021):
- Not evenly distributed – leaders knew the importance while some didn’t know UX function existed.
- 75 design and tech docs team; >1200 engineers.
Own definition of design maturity —
- Secondary research like: Design maturity models, reading reports, glimpse into history of finance.
- Listen to podcasts from thought leaders: talking about what they thought.
- Interviews with teammates: The heart of it? Getting to know the team.
- Starts off with a focus on the process side.
- But then, conversations became heartfelt:
- Feels researchers are second-class citizens
- Not brought into early conversations on projects to figure out problems
- Having admiration and regard for teammates talents
Design maturity capability models impress business execs —
- Looking for reliable and repeatable processes.
Design is not what it looks like.
Needed to add other layers; It has to be delivering value to business and customers, but it has to also be for team members too!
Design function changes as business changes: Inclusiveness, Ethics, Social Justice, Sustainability.
The pillars —
- Clearly defined mission, vision and principles.
- Elevate people
- Common methodologies consistently used
- Design mindsets and skills integrated across functions
Putting it to play: Present to leaders, socialize with the team, reflection at all-hands. The outcomes —
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- We have our why
- OKR Planning
- Decision to pause team-wide design critiques
- Feeling seen!
Why rethink design maturity now?
- Collective and personal traumas
- Foregrounding care
- Adapting to awkwardness and discomfort
Only you know your experiences. Only you know where your team has been. Only you know you team’s aspirations.