A survey of usability capability maturity models: implications for practice and research

Abstract

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 UCD. While several diverse UCM models have been introduced, little research has been published in the public domain on these models. The paper aims to fill this gap by analysing the main features of the models. The results show that most models represent different approaches – although some of them have the same roots – meaning that understanding one model is not enough to understand the basics of another model. All models can be used for examining the status of UCD in individual development projects. In addition, models provide various means for assessment of the status of UCD in other organisational areas. The level of documentation of models varies a lot, and very few empirical research results exist. Based on the results, implications for practice and research are suggested.

Notes

¹Currently ESRI.

²The English translations used in this article are taken from Geis, T. (2000). Role of ISO 13407 in Process Certification and Quality Assurance. Tokyo.

³Input from Thomas Geis, the author of the model.

⁴The former name is SDOS (Strategic Design of Human-Centered Organisation Structure).

⁵One author is aware of between two and five private models also in existence, but none of these are, to our knowledge, published.

⁶We use UCD as a high level concept and usability engineering to denote the specific UCD engineering activities (user analysis, usability requirements determination, etc.) in a development project.