why ux needs numbers

UX Needs Numbers change sciences

Pamela Pavliscak | @paminthelab

WHY

data story It’s a

and a call to action!

It all starts with revealing a

number

Among 15 sites, Site X ranked

#10

Plus more data

1 Numbers Spark Curiosity

mean? What does it really

We want to fill in the

_______

We want to fill in the

_______ We are pattern seekers

“ Raw data is both an oxymoron and a bad idea.

-Geoff Bowker

Data + tools = patterns

but not always actionable insights

Curiosity Test:

Does it foster

exploration??

2 Numbers Simplify

bullshit? Is it not

We see complexity Customer service says there are tons of complaints about

the price slider

Usability tests indicate that search is not flexible enough, needs more testing

Focus groups liked the magazine idea

View Details button scheduled

for a/b test

WHY*&$%#$!!!!

Epic struggle over order of filters

Do people want alerts?

People said they were not

sure about pricing in a

survey

We get feedback on the site about lack of maps

Users (& the C-Suite) prefer

simplicity

ü  Pressed for time ü  Worried about $$$ ü  Not likely to read much ü  Pays attention to

numbers

C-Suite User ü  Pressed for time ü  Worried about $$$ ü  Not likely to read much ü  Pays attention to

numbers

But we treat them quite

differently

ü  Long reports ü  Budget requests ü  Little proof

ü  Fewer solutions

ü  SCORN

C-Suite User ü  Simplicity ü  Clarity ü  Beauty ü  Fun

ü  EMPATHY

Numbers help prioritize 54% success rate using price

slider, 28% for ages 60+

28% missed the search initially, 10% still didn’t find it after using the site for 5 minutes

2% clicked here 98% then clicked Back

96% noticed pricing

77% clicked on the image to get more detail

Simplicity Test:

Does it reduce uncertainty??

3 Numbers Motivate

change? How can we create positive

When we see a number, we get

competitive

If you are here

You want to be here

Motivation Test:

Does it prompt action??

4 Numbers Tell a STORY

connections? How can we make

“ Data needs stories but stories also need data.

-Om Malik

What story do we want to tell about

user experience?

Our favorite story:

We know our users?

We are keepers of the real

re41 are th3y?

Numb3rs are n0t

But, wait, data are

PEOPLE

98%

2% Personal

Business

Segments + Dimensions =

personas on data

Think experience maps plus numbers

But user experience also needs

stories about value

Story A:

This is the right direction?

If we change, can we determine the

impact?

Story B:

Our site has

improved?

How do we know if things got

better or worse?

Story C:

We are

competitive?

How well do we understand our

strengths and weaknesses?

numbers You can’t tell these stories credibly without

Objective Goal

KPI

Target

Segment

UX Strategy

Objective Goal

KPI

Target

Segment

Business/CX Strategy

Measure/Metric = 1 thing (count or ratio)

Score/Metric = More than 1 (compound metric)

KPI = metric with a target

Targets pinpoint success or failure

How do you connect numbers to

experience?

“ Friends don’t let friends measure page views. Ever.

-Avinash Kaushik

Map metrics to UX with a framework

Usability (success rate, fails, time on task)

Engagement (happiness rating, time exploring)

Conversion (trust rating, micro-conversions)

0

1

2

3

4

5 Aw

esom

e

See (conversation, applause, %new, happiness)

Think (click thru, page depth, video views, micro-conversions )

Do (abandonment, conversion, trust, loyalty)

Qualitative research fills in the gaps

Story Test:

Do we have a full picture??

5 Numbers Translate

communicate? How do we effectively

“ Once the measure is on the wall, the investment will follow.

-Seth Godin

The lingua franca of the C-Suite

Numbers are a common language?

Talk numbers, Think people

You are #1 with me!

@ paminthelab

changesciences.com

Pamela Pavliscak