If we are not designing with set goals in mind we are just decorating and prettifying. This can be fun and with a bit of luck can be beneficial but without goals its hard to determine if a design exercise has been of any real value.

Once goals have been outlined we should set about achieving them using all the skills and knowledge available to us. As designers we have an arsenal of skills at hand to help, from design fundamentals such as colour theory and visual hierarchy to web/application specific skills such as usability and information architecture. But rarely does the application of these skills lead us to a single solution to a specific problem.

Analysing data from analytics software or usability testing can provide huge insights on how designs have met business and user goals. And with an iterative design process in place we can continue to improve designs through a process of monitoring key metrics and tweaking our work where necessary.

What metrics you use to measure the success of a design really depends on the goals you set at the beginning of the process. What is the purpose of the design? What problems are you trying to solve?

Using data to help inform your design is a great way to work especially if you’re sometimes in need of ammunition to convince clients or stakeholders that a certain direction is the right way to go. Using quantitive data to help make design decisions does not replace creativity it just gives us tighter constraints to work within. It’s just another tool to help us when building products that work for both the business and the user.

In a future post I’ll outline some of the basics to get started with data driven design. In the meantime take a look at these:

Beyond Web Analytics

Great podcasts covering all aspects of web analytics

Web Analytics Demystified

Free PDF book. Also includes “The Big Book of Key Performance Indicators”