Beyond Theory: Design Team Structures in Practice : Insights from Finnish IT Companies
Perez Zamora, Mariana (2024)
Perez Zamora, Mariana
2024
Master's Programme in Human-Technology Interaction
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2024-05-24
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202404193928
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202404193928
Tiivistelmä
This study investigates the application of design team structures in Finnish IT companies, their advantages, disadvantages, and impact on the organization's UX maturity. The thesis aims to create a bridge between the theory and practical application of the structures. With the goal of offering insights to leaders and managers involved in product development, empowering them to make informed decisions when selecting a structure for their design team. The study focused on answering three research questions: What type of team structures can be found in UX design teams of Finnish IT companies? What are the perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of different team structures in Finnish IT companies? What impact does the structure of the UX design team have on the perceived UX maturity? To answer this questions, three case studies of Finnish IT companies were documented. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four participants to obtain in-depth insights into their application of the team structures. In addition, a survey was conducted to collect further insights from different structures, with their advantages and disadvantages. The results show that the main structures found in Finnish IT companies are the Centralized team structure and the Matrix UX structure. From the case study and survey, a set of advantages and disadvantages was compared to those mentioned in theory. The result shows that the advantages and disadvantages found in practice resembled those mentioned in theory. However, this thesis also documents new additions to the theory. For example, Centralized team structure is perceived as advantageous to small teams with low UX maturity, a Decentralized team structure is perceived as creating a flat structure in the organization better for decision-making, and Matrix UX is perceived as having a better ground for collaboration between product managers, designers, and developers, creating a product trio. In addition, the results show that factors of UX maturity impacted by the team structure are culture and processes. In conclusion, results from this study showed a preference for team structures that centralized design teams. The advantages and disadvantages found in practice do mirror those found in theory. Finally, to select the most suitable team structure for developing UX maturity, it is essential to consider advantages and disadvantages compared to how the team works. Rather than in isolation, the team selection should be made while considering how design practices work within the organization.