In this workshop, you’ll learn how to establish team-specific design KPIs, how to track them effectively, and integrate accountability and ownership for these metrics into your design process. You’ll discover how to translate ambiguous objectives into practical goals, and how to make sense of KPRs, SUS, UMUX-Lite, TPI, KPI trees, feedback scoring, gap analysis, Kano model — and how to choose the right UX research method to get better results. Let’s dive in!

In this workshop you’ll learn:

• The difference between OKRs, KPIs and metrics, how to translate them into clear goals for each team/department, and how to apply them to design work
• How to define KPIs that focus on user needs but also respects business needs
• How to navigate the unpredictability of technical limitations and business constraints to still move confidently towards better design
• How to build a comprehensive design KPI tree for each team and for each department
• How to combine qualitative and quantitative insights when measuring design KPIs
• How to establish ownership, accountability and buy-in for design KPIs
• How to make sure that your design is heading in the right direction
• How to collaborate with developers to drive KPIs across the entire organization
• How to use the Top Tasks methodology to understand and prioritize user’s tasks
• How to improve team culture with better meetings, time estimates, expectations management and collaboration, in-house and remote
• How other companies and organizations define and track design KPIs, and what we can learn from them
• How you can define, apply and track design KPIs for your projects and for your teams

We’ll be breaking into groups to work on custom-tailored design KPIs for various projects. You’ll leave the workshop with a toolbox of practical techniques and strategies on how to define, establish, sell and measure design KPIs from start to finish — and how to make sure that your design work is on the right trajectory.

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is tailored for advanced UX practitioners, design leaders, product managers, project managers, and UX researchers eager to master the art of design KPIs and tackle intricate challenges in aligning design goals with business objectives.

You’ll walk away with a powerful arsenal of techniques and real-world examples to apply to your projects, products, or apps.

About Vitaly Friedman

Vitaly Friedman is a renowned UX consultant and the creative lead of Smashing Magazine, with more than two decades of experience in leading design. He has expertise in establishing design KPIs, tracking progress, and using data to guide design decisions. Vitaly is also the author, co-author, and editor of all Smashing books.

While writing algebra proofs and preparing for software engineering at nights in the kitchen, at the same time he discovered passion for typography, interface design and writing. His curiosity drove him from interface design to front-end to performance optimization to accessibility and back to user experience over all the years.

Time & Schedule

This workshop is split over four days. Our virtual doors open at 8:45, we start at 9 AM PT.

The workshop sessions will run on the following days:

• Tue, October 31, 09:00 – 11:30 AM PT
• Wed, November 1, 09:00 – 11:30 AM PT
• Tue, November 7, 09:00 – 11:30 AM PT
• Thu, November 9, 09:00 – 11:30 AM PT

You can always re-watch the sessions at a more convenient time and follow the workshop at your own pace.

Day 1: Design Impact and Design Metrics

8:45 AM PT
Virtual doors open, registration, chat and introductions.

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

• The role and the impact of design work at scale,
• How to embed metrics in design process,
• Role of UX research for design KPIs,
• Deep-dive into OKRs, KPIs and UX metrics,
• How to measure UX research impact,
• Business metrics, North Star Metric, NPS, CLV, CSAT, CES, MAU, MRR/ARR, and how they translate to design.
• SUS, UX-Lite, UMUX and how to choose the right mix of KPIs and metrics.

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Q&A with Vitaly on the day’s material. Networking!

Day 2: Choosing The Right Design KPIs

8:45 AM PT
Virtual doors open, registration, chat and introductions.

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

• How to choose the right KPIs for a product,
• Prioritization strategies with Impact / Effort Matrix, RICE model and Kano model,
• Top tasks analysis and Task Performance Indicator (TPI),
• How to measure success of a design system,
• How to get a buy-in and establish design KPIs,
• Exercise to translate design ideas into measurable design KPIs.

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Q&A with Vitaly on the day’s material. Networking!

Day 3: Design KPI Tree and Meeting Business Objectives

8:45 AM PT
Virtual doors open, registration, chat and introductions.

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

• How to build a comprehensive design KPI tree to connect design KPIs with business KPIs,
• How to embed design KPIs into a design process,
• How to communicate the value of design to stakeholders,
• How to measure and track design KPIs over time,
• How to establish a family of design KPIs for different personas and customer journeys,
• Exercise to connect design KPIs with business objectives.

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Q&A with Vitaly on the day’s material. Networking!

Day 4: The Boring Bits — Estimates, Velocity and Scope

8:45 AM PT
Virtual doors open, registration, chat and introductions.

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

• How to measure the velocity of design teams,
• How to improve time estimates and meetings,
• How to optimize Story Points and T-Shirt sizing estimates,
• Expectations management and collaboration, in-house and remote.
• How to define and communicate scope and deal with late scope changes,
• How to establish ownership and governance at scale,
• Time to bring all your remaining questions!

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Q&A with Vitaly on the day’s material. Networking!