Data-driven design

One of the things we talked about in this chapter is getting to root causes, which is a key element of the UX mindset. Root causes are found when you pull back all the layers of a problem until you can no longer ask why and are ready to ask how are you going to solve the problem. This requires asking the right questions that will not only solve customer/user problems, but will solve stakeholder needs as well.

For example, asking stakeholders:

• What is the current business problem?
• How do you know it's a problem?
• What are the measurable business goals and objectives, otherwise known as key performance indicators (KPIs)?
• How will we know we are successful?
• What business areas/systems/applications are impacted?
• What are the risks to the company, our customers and our users if we don't solve it?

These are hard questions, but important ones because they challenge stakeholders to think about why we are solving a problem and how to do it. It also gets stakeholders engaged in the process. Without this approach there is no way to know what is broken and by how much. Every problem worth solving must be evidenced based using the current version of a system, if possible, to understand what is in need of repair.

Despite the importance of data and its proven value, many companies still do not track it with regards to translating metrics into good design, something we will talk about in depth in a later chapter. Without knowing what you are trying to measure and what the current baseline to measure against is, you are essentially designing blind; the equivalent of throwing darts hoping to hit the bullseye. The problem is you will be throwing them while blindfolded and at a moving target.

Asking hard question will provide real numbers that you can design against and test to see whether your assumptions are correct. You can then track these numbers later when the product launches to make sure your improvements are effective, from a customer/user and business perspective.

	"The process of innovation begins with identifying the outcomes customers want to achieve; it ends in the creation of items they will buy…When desired outcomes become the focus of customer research, innovation is no longer a matter of wish fulfillment or serendipity; it is instead a manageable, predictable discipline."
	--Anthony W. Ulwick, Turn Customer Input into Innovation