Why Isn't Your UX Approach Going Viral?: A Mathematical Model
Summary
We'll take a look at how UX propagates within organizations using a viral model ( a modified SIR model to be more precise ). We'll look at such questions as: Does it simply need more time? Is the transmission rate/function the problem? Is part of the organization effectively "inoculated" against UX? and how, when and where to track progress While getting UX into an organization isn't as simple as solving a set of differential equations, we hope to show you that doing just that might be a useful step in getting insights into what might work and what might not.
Key Insights
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Mathematics, including complex models, is becoming increasingly relevant in UX research and design.
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Viral exponential growth can serve as a useful analogy for UX adoption spread within organizations.
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The SIR epidemiological model maps well conceptually to UX adoption stages: susceptible, infected (adopted), and recovered (rejected).
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Conceptual models are essential precursors and complements to mathematical models for meaningful insights.
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Competing variants of UX approaches within organizations act like competing virus strains affecting adoption rates.
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Certain groups within organizations may act as resistant or 'vaccinated' against new UX methods.
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Some UX practices become endemic—persisting at stable levels rather than disappearing over time.
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Defining explicit operational metrics is crucial to connect conceptual UX models with quantifiable mathematical models.
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Mathematical models can inspire new research questions and ways of measuring UX adoption beyond traditional methods.
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Models always have limitations, but even imperfect math models can yield valuable new perspectives.
Notable Quotes
"More math is coming our way into research into UX."
"Math by itself can be misleading and full of biases, but combined with humanities research, it can be very powerful."
"The story of the Indian king and grains of rice perfectly illustrates exponential growth."
"A model is a simplified representation of a system, whether in math or UX."
"Personas and journeys are all models we use in UX to manage complexity."
"The SIR model is simple but can be applied beyond viruses—to information spread, finance, and UX adoption."
"All models are wrong, but some are useful."
"There are competing variants in UX adoption like competing virus strains that can slow down change."
"You don’t need to be an expert in math to start making connections between math and UX."
"Math models don’t just provide numerical precision, they can be inspirational for thinking about UX spread."
Or choose a question:
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