Design Economics

Why This Matters

"Design is valuable" isn't an argument. "Design reduced support tickets by 30%, saving $240K/year" is.

Design Metrics Framework

Business Metrics (outcomes design influences)

• Revenue: Conversion rate, average order value, lifetime value
• Retention: Churn rate, daily/monthly active users, session length
• Efficiency: Task completion time, support ticket volume, onboarding completion
• Growth: Referral rate, NPS, app store rating

Experience Metrics (design quality indicators)

• Usability: Task success rate, error rate, time on task
• Satisfaction: SUS score, CSAT, ease-of-use rating
• Engagement: Feature adoption, return visits, depth of use
• Accessibility: WCAG compliance %, assistive tech compatibility