This article describes stage 1 in the six-stage NN/g UX-maturity model. Get an idea of your organization’s UX maturity by taking a short quiz (10 minutes or less).

In stage-1 organizations, user experience (UX) is completely absent. A company at this stage is either oblivious to user-centered thinking or believes it does not need it. UX work is not planned, let alone incorporated into the organization’s vision. The few people at the organization who think about users are ignored or dismissed.

When UX is absent, there may be complete ignorance about UX, apathy, or half-hearted intentions which favor the idea of UX but never follow through with action. In some cases, there may even be hostility towards adopting UX practices.

UX-Maturity Stage 1: UX is absent from strategy, culture, process, and outcomes.

UX-Maturity Stage 1: UX is absent from strategy, culture, process, and outcomes.

UX maturity is composed of four factors: strategy, culture, process, and outcomes. The following sections describe how these four factors typically look in a stage-1 organization.

Strategy at Stage 1 

Organizations at stage 1 do not include UX in their mission, objectives, or priorities. Schedules and development processes make no mention of UX and may even run counter to iterative design and other good UX practices. Further, there is no budget for UX. There are no full- or part-time UX people and no money is spent on external UX consultants or resources. 

Culture at Stage 1

Most people at stage-1 organizations are oblivious to UX. A UX mindset doesn’t exist at all or there is a problematic, toxic misunderstanding of UX and its value. The few people at the organization who think about users are likely ignored or dismissed. There is a lack of motivation to incorporate UX into the company’s processes and a generalized dismissal of the concept. The best-case scenario at this stage is that a few nonUX individuals read a couple of articles about UX, even though they may not be personally motivated to incorporate it into their work. 

Process at Stage 1

The UX process at stage 1 isn’t even a thought. There are no design or research methods used. Often the design is created and enforced by departments and teams with no UX expertise or involvement and there is no UX-evaluation process, even at the end of the development circle.  In these scenarios, because UX isn’t a formal competency yet, there is no design and research collaboration. The only common thread related to UX is not knowing or caring about UX.

Outcomes at Stage 1

There is no UX practice, and, thus, no UX outcomes or evaluation of UX work. Design output is poor. If success metrics exist, they have nothing to do with user-centered thinking or UX. 

As a whole, UX is not present in any aspects of stage-1 organizations. In the rare exceptions, UX is not accepted and thus cannot drive any kind of user-centered thought.  

Variations Within Stage 1

The defining characteristic of stage 1 is the absence of UX across all dimensions of the company. However, there is still a lot of variation across organizations that fall into this category. Some may be completely ignorant to UX altogether, while others may be aware but hostile. These differences create different “flavors” of companies that exist at stage 1. 

Most companies at stage 1 fall outside the technology and software fields, where UX is commonly understood and practiced. Instead, many stage-1 companies exist in traditional industries that were historically driven by human-to-human interactions or catered to a niche audience. While the evolution of technology has enabled these companies to meet their end users in ways they previously weren’t required to do, their inherited work processes prevent them from changing their ways.

The following sections describe common examples of organizations at this stage.

Example 1: An older, development-driven organization 

This organization is dominated by developers. Those developers may be aware that UX is important and attempt to create good experiences, but they do not have any access to methods, resources, or organizational support. 

(In our original model, this ‘developer-centered’ UX was a separate, higher stage; we now group these organizations within stage 1 because even the best intentions of hard-working developers are not enough to yield meaningful results in the absence of organizational support.)

Example 2: A small startup short on resources

People often assume that startups are always higher in UX maturity than other types of companies, but that isn’t the case. In particular, a startup with leadership that is oblivious to UX and short on resources fits the stage 1 description. Employees may fulfill multiple job functions and most are not even thinking about UX. There may come a time when the leadership becomes aware of UX or additional employees are hired (who either bring UX awareness or are forced to own customer-facing aspects of the company) and, thus, UX awareness may be born. 

Example 3: A traditional in-person company with a digital component

When a company operates primarily in human-to-human environments, their digital touchpoint is often an afterthought. This touchpoint may need to provide a set of basic capabilities, but, beyond that, UX isn’t considered (let alone incorporated into the organization’s vision). 

Government agencies often fit this particular description of stage 1.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Being at Stage 1

The advantage of being at stage 1 is that it can’t get worse. Most people in your organization don’t even know what UX is. Therefore, small opportunities to educate others can go a long way. Start by identifying low-hanging fruit that can be improved with a little UX. For example, share a UX article pertaining to something relevant in your product. 

The disadvantage is that you have a long road ahead. Educating others about UX and its value won’t happen overnight and buy-in will have to be earned. Rather than getting overwhelmed by the work in front of you, focus on small wins: insert a UX-related slide into a presentation, share an article about UX from a reputable source, or suggest talking to an end user when the team needs to make a design decision.

The time frame for staying at stage 1 is indefinite. Organizations can remain at this stage for decades: since they have no UX awareness, there’s no inherent push to advance. Such a push may happen due to random events such as a new hire in a leadership position who is a strong believer in UX or a spectacular failure of an important redesign or new product. 

How to Level Up to Stage 2

In order to progress to stage 2, you must focus on building UX awareness. Educate others about: 

  • What UX is
  • Its benefits to the organization and customers
  • Possible internal UX processes
  • How to begin doing UX work

The key at this stage is to start small: share a helpful article, host a lunch-and-learn, or gather feedback from a few end users and disperse the insights. When possible, identify potential allies (preferably those who have a strong political clout and are well liked amongst others) and work together in this effort. 

Additional Resources for Stage 1 Organizations

Training Courses: 

Articles & Videos: