Design maturity results
September 2022
The results of the design maturity survey carried out in the Department for Education in September 2022
Summary
Overall, in 2022, DfE showed a mixed level of maturity in design-related aspects, with room for improvement in various areas, including setting specific design goals, increasing leadership support, and establishing consistent design processes and career development paths.
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41
Responses
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1 2 3 4 5 6
Maturity score: 3 - What this score means
Notes on results data
The percentages in the table represent the proportion of respondents who selected each response category.
Results
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No goals | 8 | 17% |
General design-related goals describing what design should be or achieve | 28 | 60% |
Specific, well documented goals | 8 | 17% |
Prioritised goals indicating which are the most important | 1 | 2% |
A roadmap or plan for how to achieve organisational design goals | 2 | 4% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
Design is not included in planning schedules | 5 | 9% |
This usually happens before a design is implemented | 8 | 14% |
This is usually included in planning | 21 | 37% |
This is included in planning and prioritised | 13 | 23% |
This is always part of early project planning or to at least understand what’s required | 10 | 18% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No staff with specialised design skills or experience | 1 | 2% |
Some people with design skills or experience but it's not their main job | 3 | 7% |
Dedicated people in design roles, but not enough to do all the work that’s needed or external contractors hired occasionally | 37 | 90% |
Enough specialised people and skills to address current work | 0 | 0% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No money is spent on internal design staff, external contractors or other design resources | 3 | 7% |
Some design work is funded, but there is no dedicated design budget | 17 | 41% |
There is some design budget, but it’s not enough | 17 | 41% |
There is adequate budget, nearly adequate or even more than enough budget | 4 | 10% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
People don't know or they have a toxic or problematic understanding of design | 3 | 7% |
There is an awareness of the concept of design but limited understanding of the benefits | 17 | 41% |
Some people have a good understanding, but many others don't | 17 | 41% |
There is a consistent definition of design and is understood across DfE | 4 | 10% |
The purpose of design is not only consistent across the organisation, but is applied across departments, services and processes | 0 | 0% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
Leadership does not support design in any way | 2 | 5% |
Leaders are aware of design but are indifferent to it or even hostile | 9 | 22% |
Leadership accepts the need for design but there are some skeptical leaders who aren't convinced or don't provide enough or the right support | 25 | 61% |
There is design support at Deputy Director level upwards | 5 | 12% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No formal design roles exist | 2 | 5% |
Few or no design role but some people are self-motivated and prioritise design work in their normal roles | 4 | 10% |
There are some design roles but there are few design people in the organisation | 11 | 27% |
Job profiles and career paths exist but personal growth and development isn't tracked or understood well | 17 | 41% |
Job profiles and career paths for some design roles are well defined and understood throughout DfE | 6 | 15% |
Job profiles and career paths exist for all design roles (content, service and Interaction design) but also for supporting roles in Design Ops or Research Ops | 1 | 2% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No design work is being done | 1 | 2% |
Design work is done haphazardly, there is little to no effort to evaluate or improve how it's done | 4 | 10% |
Some teams are working towards improving their own work but not all teams are doing the same | 31 | 76% |
Plans are in place to repeat and improve design work across DfE in all teams | 5 | 12% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No design or research methods are used | 2 | 3% |
A few are used but not consistently | 17 | 24% |
Design methods are used throughout the delivery lifecycle not just at the end | 25 | 36% |
Established and documented methods are used across teams | 9 | 13% |
A wide variety of methods are being used well | 13 | 19% |
Design methods are being used outside of traditional digital teams, for example, finance teams, strategy, policy, support teams, operational teams | 4 | 6% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No design work is done or it's not talked about | 3 | 7% |
Among non-design roles, design is noted but not accepted or supported | 5 | 12% |
Some people in non-design roles are curious and want to be involved but most don't support it | 14 | 34% |
Most non-design roles accept and support design but it varies across DfE | 16 | 39% |
Non-design roles have strong respect for design and work alongside design roles on various activities | 3 | 7% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
It isn't: The only common thread is not knowing or caring about it | 2 | 5% |
Inconsistently: there are many inconsistencies across design within and across projects | 31 | 76% |
Consistently: Design process is similar or consistent across teams and projects | 7 | 17% |
Systematically: There are established, successful frameworks across DfE which are shared, maintained and improved by everyone | 1 | 2% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
Not at all, there is no design work being done so there is no impact | 1 | 2% |
Weak: Design does not have a strong impact or positive outcome on design quality due to politics, constraints or lack of experience | 10 | 24% |
Moderate: Teams are trying to produce high quality work and many are successful | 19 | 46% |
Strong: Many or all of the design work produced is of high quality and meets required standards | 10 | 24% |
Very strong: Designs are good, they lead industry and design community standards | 1 | 2% |
Measure | Response | % of responses |
---|---|---|
No measurable indicators of design quality are defined | 17 | 31% |
At least a few design metrics are collected and discussed | 21 | 38% |
Design metrics are collected regularly and tracked over time | 8 | 15% |
Design metrics are shared throughout DfE | 1 | 2% |
Design metrics are shared with decision makers | 4 | 7% |
Design metrics influence decisions | 4 | 7% |