Report

UX 360: State of UX in Software

Why your software company needs a dedicated UX research practice

Executive summary

UX is on the cusp of breaking through

We asked 100 UX, design and product development professionals working in the software industry to share their approach and attitudes to user experience. The results reveal three main challenges facing UX teams. While UX is occasionally misunderstood and under-used, our survey results show a pent-up desire to take UX efforts and opportunities to the next level. 

Read on to see the three key lessons from the results, revealing a fascinating insight into the current state of UX maturity in the software industry. 

Three key takeaways

#1: UX has been embraced, but is this enough?

The software industry realizes the importance of UX, but not as a vital tool that must be supported by research to be valid and actionable. 85% of executives agree there is business value in delivering a great user experience...

... however, 77% say their organization doesn't make research compulsory for creating a new digital product. 

UX without research simply isn’t UX. Embedding user insight throughout product development is essential to make confident design decisions that truly address customer needs and lower the risk of costly mistakes. 

#2: UX data needs to be accessible and easily understood

Executives love data that proves the value of UX – but UX professionals don't always have access to the numbers they need. With 88% of survey respondents saying they'd like to prove the value of UX to their leadership teams, there's clearly a demand for evidence.

But how do you communicate this data in a way that’s analytically rigorous, accessible and actionable?

#3 Stakeholder buy-in is still too low

A lack of stakeholder buy-in is a major obstacle to wider UX adoption. The UX, design, and product teams are all on board, but stakeholders elsewhere in the business don’t seem convinced. This needs to be addressed, particularly if these people are blocking your way to further investment.

Access the rest of our survey results