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In the fast-paced UX world, the question of design investment is not just a superficial reflection, but a fundamental strategic question. UX teams often face the challenge of demonstrating tangible design impact in a business environment, where results are measured with precise numbers and metrics. However, measuring design impact goes beyond being a simple demand from business areas; it offers an opportunity to improve internal communication, make strategic decisions and optimize the design process (consistency and scalability).
Improving internal communication to obtain buy-in
One of the biggest hurdles UX teams face is gaining internal recognition of the value of their discipline. Measuring design impact provides a platform to improve internal communication by demonstrating how design decisions directly impact the bottom line (ROI). Gaining buy-in within the organization becomes more seamless when you can show how well thought-out and executed design contributes to broader business objectives.
Strategic design decision making
Design is not just about aesthetics; it is a powerful strategic tool that can influence customer perception, retention and ultimately revenue. By measuring the impact of design, UX teams can make more informed and strategic decisions that positively affect the user experience and, therefore, the overall success of the business.
Design optimization: consistency and scalability
Design consistency is critical to building a coherent user experience. By measuring design impact, UX teams can achieve greater consistency in less time. In addition, this leads to a scalable design, which can adapt and grow with the needs of the business.
Metrics to measure design impact
To demonstrate the impact of the design we first need to be able to measure its performance effectively. Once these metrics have been defined, we must perform an initial measurement to serve as a starting point and benchmark.
Some of the important metrics are:
- Operational efficiency: Measured by time spent by the team on specific design tasks, such as screen prototyping.
- Design quality: Determined by the number of pre-approval corrections or the number of bugs/problems detected by users during usability testing.
- Design ROI: Measured by the connection between design improvements and economic return, either through reduced costs or increased revenue.
- Project management: It is evaluated through the level of compliance with deadlines and milestones established at the beginning of the project (avoiding delays).
The role of DesignOps in measuring design impact
Regardless of which metrics you choose to measure the impact of design in your organization, you need to assign a team responsible for sustaining this measurement over time to see its evolution. This can fall to a specific member of the UX team, but it is best if this responsibility is assigned to specialized Design Ops teams. These teams are critical to optimize the design process, ensuring that decisions are made based on concrete data and relevant metrics.
