Cubcast Ep.2 – The RoI of Design

Why is it essential to track the ROI of design, and how to measure it and align it with your business goals? Join Raghu and Auro in episode 2 to discuss the topic of ROI of design with some real-world examples of measurement and recommendations on how to start.

Design is an experience-based outcome at its core, which is not a language businesses speak. Businesses speak in numbers, trends, value, and deliverables.

Has this ever made you sit up and wonder, “How do I measure design impact and communicate my findings effectively to a higher-up?”

In fact, this is one of the biggest challenges we’ve seen people face in the design industry so we decided to clear it up once and for all in our second episode. 

We sit down with our CEO, Aurobinda Pradhan, to discuss the ROI of design. Here are the key takeaways from this session.

Is it important to track the RoI of design?

Absolutely. RoI is the common tongue of business, and you need to justify that the investments you make are leading you in the right direction – toward your business goals and objectives.

Without a structured DesignOps team, a collaboration mechanism, or a strategic direction, there’s a good chance your project is going to be disastrous. 

To get all of that in place, you need to know the objectives you’re trying to hit so you can choose the right KPIs and metrics to focus on and again, justify your investment with deliverable outcomes that your business can understand.

Important quantifiable metrics to consider when measuring design RoI

DesignOps metrics are pretty much standard. For any function worldwide, we talk about performance, growth, health, or value, and that applies to DesignOps too.

When you break these down, you have a bucket of metrics that you can track.

Performance metrics 

• Stakeholder satisfaction 

Are all of the stakeholders involved in the project in sync with the design team and aligned with the objectives and goals of the project? 

• Timely delivery of design assets and artifacts 

Are the timelines being adhered to by the team? Is your team ahead of schedule, on schedule, or behind? Are there any delays in the design program? 

• Rate of productivity 

When teams form a balanced schedule, they have enough time to indulge in the design process, leading to better overall designs and improved utilization of their time, talents, and resources. Is that utilization being met?

• Number of project reviews and iterations 

Have you gone through enough iterations and conversations regarding the project? Is everyone satisfied with the outcome after each iteration? How long does it take for a project to reach its final iteration?

Growth metrics

• Design plan vs. execution

A good plan doesn’t necessarily mean good execution. A project is successful when it is completed keeping the goals and objectives in mind. Have you and your team completed the project in alignment with the end goal?

• Collaboration standards

Is there enough conversation going on internally to make sure the team is aligned with each other’s tasks? Do the stakeholders contribute to the project?

• Utilization of team talent

Are your team’s talents and resources utilized effectively without causing burnout? Is your team overloaded or overutilized?

Health metrics

• Team health

Is your team happy with the job they’re doing? Do they feel like their abilities are being resourcefully utilized? 

• Team competencies

Every team comprises different people and talents. Is your team made up of the right mix and configuration that aligns with the project?

Value metrics

• Utilization of organizational knowledge pool

We strongly believe in reducing the amount of time you spend on recreating something over and over again. Do you have organizational knowledge repositories, and do you reuse them to save time?

 

To conclude,

The truth is measuring RoI and metrics for design is very subjective. Unlike other fields, these variables do not have constant bearings and change from project to project. 

As a DesignOps manager, you need to cautiously look into the internal aspects of your team, the process that they follow for the project, and if your stakeholders have solid, beneficial contributions to the project.

The key takeaway from this podcast is that project objectives and goals are the foundation to be able to measure design metrics and RoI effectively. 

While the metrics themselves are standard, the way in which you measure them revolves around the purpose of the project, and the idea is always to make sure your designs align with the project’s objectives. 

If you’d like to watch the entirety of our podcast to understand the RoI of Design, simply follow the link!