For teams

Where does your team actually sit on UX?

Answer 8 short questions and get an instant, indicative read on where your team sits, based on the Nielsen Norman Group UX maturity model. About 5 minutes, no signup.

Start the health-checkSee the six stages ↓
The model

Six stages, from absent to user-driven.

The Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) describes six stages organisations move through as UX becomes part of how they work. The descriptions below are written in our own words for this page, not reproduced from NN/g's material -- if you want their original framing, search "NN/g UX maturity model".

  1. Absent

    UX isn't yet a distinct activity. Decisions rely on instinct, precedent, or whoever is most senior in the room.

  2. Limited

    Something UX-shaped happens, but it's occasional, informal, and rests on one person noticing a problem.

  3. Emergent

    Research and design thinking exist and are sometimes structured, but are still easy to skip under deadline pressure.

  4. Structured

    A repeatable process and some shared patterns exist, and research usually happens before a direction is chosen.

  5. Integrated

    UX work reaches across teams, outcomes get measured, and leadership expects evidence before backing a major change.

  6. User-Driven

    Evidence from users routinely shapes strategy, not just individual features, as a matter of expected practice.

Self-assessment

Answer honestly -- nobody sees this but you.

Pick the option closest to how things actually work today, not how you'd like them to work. There's no right answer to aim for -- the point is an accurate read, not a good score.

1. Does user research happen at your organisation, and who does it?
2. When research happens, is it before or after decisions are made?
3. Is there a shared design system or set of interface patterns?
4. Does anyone outside design ever take part in or hear about research?
5. Could your team run and analyse a piece of user research today?
6. Do you measure whether a design change actually helped?
7. Does leadership ask for user evidence before a major decision?
8. Who owns UX at your organisation?

0 of 8 answered

Answer all 8 questions above to see your indicative stage.

Next step

Want a proper look, not a self-report?

A self-assessment is a starting point, not a diagnosis -- it only knows what you tell it. If you want a written assessment of your actual product and process, get in touch.

Request a written assessmentSee in-house training

See how this looks in practice: our case studies, or read about in-house UX training for teams who want to move a stage.