Creating a UX capability that thrives
- Vijaymohan Chandrahasan
- Feb 10
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 12
I’ve learned that developing a strong UX capability isn’t just about hiring designers or adopting the latest methodology. It hinges on embedding user-centered thinking into an organization’s DNA so that research and design insights inform decisions at every level. This ensures UX remains relevant, even as teams shift or business goals evolve.
The role of a UX Team
UX team’s fundamental purpose is to optimize how people engage with digital and service-based products. Yes, it can involve refining button sizes or colors, but truly transformative UX tackles core motivations, frustrations, and opportunities, always balancing user and business needs.
However, I’ve noticed a common misconception among some stakeholders (or senior leaders within the same organization): they see UX as a final layer of “making things pretty,” even if they don’t articulate it that way. By viewing UX purely as a cosmetic add-on late in the process, they undermine both the discipline and the teams involved. This can lead to tasks like asking junior UXers to improve PowerPoint presentations, which, while not inherently bad, showcases how UX is sometimes reduced to a visual enhancement service rather than a strategic partner.
Considerations for smaller teams
I’ve noticed that in smaller teams, it’s tempting to stay at surface-level tasks - visual designers might fix quick UI issues without challenging broader product decisions. While short-term fixes can help, deeper involvement yields far greater impact. It not only creates better outcomes for users but also lets team members learn beyond the basics, ultimately enhancing their skill sets and benefiting the organization.
Balancing quick fixes and true solutions
Deadlines are real, and quick fixes... like adjusting a landing page to boost conversions—are sometimes necessary. Yet over-relying on superficial solutions can limit long-term improvements. For instance, forcing sign-ups before users see content might capture data quickly, but it can also deter potential customers. In my view, it’s crucial to weigh these trade-offs carefully, looking for approaches that combine immediate results with genuine user satisfaction.
Building for the long term
From my standpoint, establishing a durable UX capability depends on three main pillars:
Identify gaps | Integrate UX early | Define success |
Identifying gaps goes beyond surface problems with products or user journeys. It also means assessing where the UX function itself might need reinforcement. For instance, you may lack the expertise to build a design system from scratch or have insufficient UX researchers to conduct robust qualitative studies. Being honest about these internal shortcomings helps you set a clear roadmap for hiring, training, or sourcing the right tools and processes. | In my experience, embedding UX at the planning stage can drastically reduce costly rework down the line. By the time a product is “mostly done,” it’s usually too late—or too expensive—to address core issues effectively. Prioritizing UX from the outset not only improves product outcomes but also reinforces the team’s strategic value. | Beyond metrics like usability scores or conversions, I watch for whether leadership leverages UX research to guide decisions. I also look for whether designers feel empowered to question assumptions. These behaviors indicate that UX has become a driving force—shaping strategy instead of being tacked on for aesthetics. |
UX capability maturity: continuously defining and evolving
I like to describe a UX capability as similar to the Ship of Theseus: over time, you might replace or refine every “plank” - your methods, tools, and team members. Despite these changes, the core identity remains user-centered. Early on, a UX team may react to issues (like a broken navigation), but as it matures, it proactively influences product strategy, anticipating potential pitfalls before they occur.
Avoiding utter dependency on individuals
I believe in meritocracy - where top performers and fresh ideas are recognized—but I’ve also seen the danger of over-reliance on a single “rockstar.” When that star leaves, everything can crumble if there’s no foundational system or shared knowledge to fall back on.
Meritocracy with stability: Recognize and reward excellence, but ensure processes, documentation, and collaboration diffuse expertise throughout the team.
Team resilience: Encourage knowledge sharing and build robust practices so the capability doesn’t collapse if a key individual moves on.
Continuous renewal: Keep bringing in new talent to maintain a flow of fresh ideas while existing members deepen their skills. Over time, this blend of experience and novelty fosters a dynamic, evolving practice.
Hiring the right people
Building a strong UX capability isn’t about gatekeeping who can or can’t be part of the team based on rigid criteria. I’ve seen exceptional UX professionals emerge from unexpected backgrounds - anthropology, psychology, even specialized fields like healthcare taxonomy. Sure, there are roles that demand specific technical or design proficiencies, such as expertise in Figma or React, but UX isn’t a “guarded space” limited to individuals who check off a narrow list of qualifications.
Clarity matters
That said, it’s crucial to define roles and responsibilities clearly. A role requiring in-depth interaction design skills or UX research acumen shouldn’t be filled by someone who has no interest or experience in that area. However, this doesn’t mean we should reject someone merely because they’re missing a particular tool on their résumé. If the core skill set aligns - empathy, problem-solving, user-centered thinking - the rest can often be taught or supplemented.
Flexible approaches
Sometimes, a team may need short-term support from other domains - like borrowing an analytics specialist to interpret complex data sets or collaborating with a creative strategist for a specific project. That doesn’t mean inventing new UX titles on the fly; rather, it’s about recognizing when cross-functional expertise can complement existing skill sets and fill temporary gaps.
Room for growth
In my experience, many successful UX hires didn’t come with a “perfect” UX résumé. They started by contributing in one area - maybe content organization, user interviews, or wireframing... and gradually expanded their skill set. As long as the broader capability is well-defined, there’s ample room for people to grow without compromising the integrity of the UX practice.
An Inclusive but purposeful process
Ultimately, hiring for UX should be inclusive and open-minded, but also purposeful. Understanding exactly what the team needs—be it a researcher, a strategist, a designer, or a blend of all three - helps ensure you find the best match. And in the long run, this mix of defined roles plus openness to fresh perspectives is what keeps a UX capability innovative, resilient, and ready for whatever challenge comes next.
Fostering growth and collaboration
Cultivating a culture of experimentation
A vibrant UX capability flourishes when teams feel safe experimenting - even if those trials don’t lead to immediate outcomes. Allocating dedicated time, perhaps 20% of the workweek, can spark innovative thinking and encourage bolder creative exploration. It’s equally important to avoid micromanagement: offering just enough structure and treating “failure” as a source of valuable insights fosters a resilient, forward-thinking mindset.
Growing and diversifying the team
Continual growth and the influx of fresh perspectives help ensure a UX practice never stagnates. In many cases, hiring individuals from varied backgrounds - be it research, analytics, or finance - enriches the conversation with new approaches and uncovers pain points that might otherwise go unnoticed. Encouraging ideas from across the organization also strengthens shared ownership of user experience, allowing core UX principles to evolve in step with changing needs and inspirations.
Sustaining continuous learning
A commitment to ongoing education rounds out a truly robust UX capability. Regular workshops, conferences, or internal knowledge-sharing sessions can keep everyone on the cutting edge of emerging methodologies and technologies. Documenting each project’s progress—success or otherwise—ensures future efforts build on past lessons. Over time, this accumulated wisdom significantly boosts the team’s problem-solving capacity, making them both adaptable and well-prepared for continued growth.
UX and stakeholder relationships
A major turning point for any UX capability comes when stakeholders (be they external clients or internal teams) - recognize that UX isn’t just a “vendor” hired to make things look good. Instead, UX should be viewed as a strategic partner contributing expertise, insights, and ethical design principles to achieve shared goals. This shift in perception requires consistent demonstration of UX’s value, clear communication, and an openness to collaboration.
Engaging with external clients
Set the tone early
Too often, clients bring UX in at the final stages, expecting cosmetic fixes. By establishing UX as a critical partner from the beginning - sharing user research, insights, and a roadmap for ongoing testing—clients see firsthand that UX impacts core strategy rather than merely polishing aesthetics.
Communicate the why
Tying design recommendations to data - like user feedback, analytics, or usability studies—helps clients grasp how decisions are shaped by genuine user needs. This transparency fosters credibility and trust.
Encourage healthy debate
Clients aren’t always right, and neither are UXers. A willingness to question assumptions, backed by evidence, ensures better decisions. When clients see UX as an ally who challenges ideas in pursuit of the best possible outcome, the relationship moves from transactional to truly collaborative.
Collaborating with internal teams
Within organizations, it’s common for product managers, analytics teams, marketing departments, and personalization experts to have roles that overlap with UX. Rather than fostering turf wars, open communication and role clarity can transform potential conflicts into synergy.
Redefine scope collectively
Sometimes deeper discussions reveal UX could tackle problems beyond interface design - like improving workflows or championing user research organization-wide. This might reshape a project’s scope, ensuring it addresses genuine user needs while respecting each team’s domain expertise.
Shared vision, Shared success
Recognizing that product, analytics, and UX all aim for a successful user experience helps align priorities. When teams pool their insights - be it data-driven recommendations or user-centered feedback - they create cohesive, high-impact solutions.
Support and challenge each other
A robust UX practice doesn’t shy away from questioning assumptions, even those made by fellow internal teams. Likewise, UX should be open to critiques from product, analytics, or engineering. This mutual critique fosters continuous learning and prevents siloed thinking.
Building a culture of partnership
Whether dealing with external clients or internal counterparts, the real value of UX emerges when everyone sees themselves as allies working toward a common goal. That means:
Respecting each role
Each discipline—UX, product, analytics, marketing - brings unique strengths. Acknowledging those strengths and deferring to the right expertise at the right time avoids power struggles.
Staying flexible
Not every organization or client will be ready for deep user research or iterative testing. Sometimes, baby steps toward a more user-centered approach are still valuable - so long as integrity and core UX principles remain intact.
Promoting visibility and transparency
Regular updates, open channels of communication, and shared metrics prevent misunderstandings. By letting everyone see the rationale and results behind UX decisions, stakeholders become active supporters rather than passive observers.
Ultimately, moving beyond a “vendor” mindset isn’t just about a seat at the table - it’s about fostering an environment where UX can genuinely influence decisions, inspire ethical design, and integrate seamlessly with other functions or client expectations. When this happens, UX stands as a respected partner, driving sustainable value for both the business and its users.
Integrity and the role of UX
When I reflect on what truly makes a UX capability strong, I keep coming back to integrity as the foundation. It’s one thing to say we believe in ethical design and transparency; it’s another to uphold these values when business pressures tempt us toward quick wins that could undermine user trust.
Drawing the line with dark patterns
I’ve seen how dark patterns - hose subtle tactics meant to coerce user actions - can temporarily boost metrics like sign-ups or retention. But if we embrace manipulative techniques, we’re no longer practicing genuine UX; we’re effectively undermining the trust we aim to build. Whenever I sense a project steering toward such tactics, I remind myself that a UX capability worth its name must stand against manipulation, no matter how tempting the short-term gains appear.
Navigating accessibility priorities
There are moments when leadership might downplay accessibility efforts because they benefit only a subset of users, or because they don’t see an immediate ROI. But from my perspective, inclusive design is central to the ethos of a real UX capability - it’s not just a “nice to have.” Providing equal access enriches experiences for everyone and safeguards against reputational or legal pitfalls. Upholding accessibility is how we demonstrate that our design principles aren’t merely cosmetic but genuinely user-centered.
Upholding User-Centered values
Maintaining this integrity can mean pushing back on suggestions that feel unethical or user-hostile. It doesn’t mean I reject every compromise outright; rather, I’ve learned to define non-negotiable boundaries: like clear data practices and honest user consent. Sometimes, the team has to be the voice of reason, even if it causes friction. In my view, that’s part of what differentiates a true UX capability from a superficial design function.
Finding constructive compromises
Of course, real-world constraints exist - budget limitations, tight deadlines, or incremental feature rollouts. I try to remain flexible on the “how” but firm on the “why,” ensuring we never cross ethical lines. When full implementation of ideal user experiences can’t happen right away, iterative progress can still uphold our core principles while meeting practical demands.
Why It Matters
Ultimately, integrity is key to holding a thriving UX capability together.
If we treat people like faceless metrics, we lose sight of the very essence of user-centric design. Conversely, if we show genuine respect and empathy for users - even when it’s tough - we foster loyalty, trust, and stronger relationships over time. For me, that’s the real mark of a UX capability with a lasting, positive impact.
Final thought: Building a UX practice that lasts
As I step back and reflect on what truly sustains a UX practice, it’s clear that no single method, tool, or individual holds the key to lasting success. It’s about bringing the right people together, fostering a culture of learning, collaborating across disciplines, and - above all - staying grounded in integrity. What makes the real difference isn’t just process or expertise, but a shared ethos: one that values clear principles, ethical responsibility, and a deep commitment to meaningful user experiences.
People will move on, products will evolve, and technologies will shift. But if the foundation remains strong - like the Ship of Theseus: UX doesn’t just endure change; it thrives on it. In the end, a truly sustainable practice is one where user-centered thinking isn’t just encouraged, but ingrained in every decision, at every level. Because no matter how much things change, what matters most is that we never lose sight of the people we design for.
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