Evaluating the user-centredness of development organisations: conclusions and implications from empirical usability capability maturity assessments

Improving the position and effectiveness of user-centred design, UCD, in software and product development is a challenge in many companies. One step towards improvements is to carry out a usability capability maturity, UCM, assessment to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a development organisation in user-centred design. This article reports the lessons learnt from 11 empirical UCM assessments of R&D groups of Nokia, a software house, an SME, and a research institute in Finland. The first assessments were carried out using a standard process assessment model (a pre-version of ISO 18529); the last assessments were carried out using a new KESSU model that evolved during the research. It was found that the assessment model, its interpretation, and the viewpoints of the assessment team have a critical role in the success of assessments. In addition, it was found that the customers have different purposes for assessments and those purposes have an effect on how one should conduct the assessment—or whether to conduct it at all.