How to look at data (like a designer)
Coming from a background in digital marketing, where I ran A/B tests on email and push notifications, I became quite skilled at data. Weekly, we’d run google analytics reports on these campaigns — which were vital to the company’s revenue. If a campaign didn’t bring in cash, stakeholders wanted to know why. In my job, I had to analyze complicated spreadsheets — featuring tons of different metrics and user click data. I needed to know what was important, and how to explain certain behaviours from the numbers.
When I became a product designer, I didn’t realize how useful my past knowledge would become to my day-to-day work and trying to accomplish my goals. Combining the numbers with what users say qualitatively, I have a unique edge in pushing designs in the right direction that most designers don’t. In my life, I can look at my self-improvement efforts with greater empathy and less frustration.
So without further delay, here are a few lessons from my digital marketing days that I use as a product designer (and human) to make everything I do more impactful and measurable.
How this applies to your life…
A: Don’t change too many things at once
If you make too many changes when you’re trying to test an idea, you won’t know what worked.
Example… want to know why you feel tired? Instead of trying 15 different supplements at once, try 1 new supplement first for a few weeks. If that works, you just saved yourself A TON of cash.
B: Don’t compare things that aren’t comparable
You can’t compare a really targeted marketing message against one sent to millions of people — its not a valid comparison.
Example… if I am a tech-worker with 2 years of experience, and I feel bad about myself because I am not a director-level designer with ten years of experience, I am really just wasting my time. It doesn’t mean you won’t get there, it means you’re just comparing yourself to the wrong people.
C: Be consistent
If you don’t have a big enough pool of similar data, you don’t have anything to compare, and in turn, your insights will not be valid or helpful.
Example… if you’re trying to lose 20lbs though working with a personal trainer, giving up after 1 week will not give you enough data to say if the trainer was useful or not. Most humans can lose a max of around 5lbs a week healthily, so no matter how “good” the trainer is you can’t definitively say they are or aren’t helpful so early on.
D: Don’t just look at one metric for ‘success’
If you look at one metric (such as clicks) and decide this is what ‘engagement’ is, you will develop a false understanding of your user base. Through looking at a combination of metrics, I learned that, for instance, tiny product images get lots of clicks not because they drive conversion, but because they are tiny and the user cannot see them. Oh, and they also didn’t drive conversion $$$.
Example… If you lost 20lbs after doing the grapefruit diet, you may think you’re ‘successful’. However, if you’ve sacrificed all of your personal relationships and have fallen into a depression, then maybe the scale isn’t the only metric you should be looking at.
This week…
I challenge you to ask yourself…. who am I comparing myself to? Am I giving up on my goals too early? And… am I defining success in a way that makes my life better?
Hope you found these insights useful to your design and your life. If you’d like to connect, come say hello over on LinkedIn 👋!
