Input Output: Metrics Strategy in Design

How a single high level goal can hinder design teams and the importance of multiple granular KPIs.

The Beauty of a Break

Reflecting on and evaluating one’s design tendencies can be challenging, especially while continuing to work on projects. During my recent series of interviews, I’ve had the space to reflect on my design strategy and observe design trends overall. While the typical approach of user journeys, problem identification, ideation, and testing remains the gold standard, I’ve observed a potential lapse in the way I and many other designers set project goals.

The Problem

Too often, designers, including myself, focus on a single high-level goal and hope that design changes will impact that objective. I propose a more effective method to shorten iteration cycles, thereby saving money and increasing ROI for stakeholders and users.

Consider a Formula 1 engineer aiming to reduce lap times by 10 seconds. They might adjust the spoiler by 5 degrees and modify some engine parts. When the car’s performance improves by 10 seconds, it seems like a success. However, in our hypothetical situation, if only the spoiler adjustment had been made, the car would have been 20 seconds faster and the new engine parts actually hindered performance. This scenario illustrates how design teams often judge success based on individual metric changes in which multiple variables are at play.

The Input Output Model

At the beginning of each project, as always, we must clearly define the problem and set a goal. This is the significant needle we aim to move, or our output metric. These could be things like customer signups or products purchased. The challenge comes when these high-level metrics can be influenced by numerous factors such as product pricing, industry interest, or even page load times.

Before implementing new designs, we need robust analytics to track specific changes related to our hypotheses, our input metrics. For instance, if we believe that increasing the size of a call-to-action button will boost clicks and ultimately increase signups, we must quantify and monitor those clicks. Otherwise, we risk assessing a spike in signups as a success, unaware that an unrelated marketing campaign was the real cause.

The Argument Against Cost

Although engineering a car differs from designing digital experiences, the importance of clearly defined input and output metrics is equally crucial. In today’s hyper-competitive digital landscape, designers must strive for this level of precision. While this approach may require additional engineering resources, the benefits of understanding the exact impact of our changes leads to faster iteration cycles and higher returns.