Using data to drive product decisions

Arpit DhariwalProduct Manager, SlideShare-LinkedIn

Intuition-driven Data-driven

Make best-guessesRely on previous experiencesStudy what others are doingUse best practices, principles and patternsMight use data for trend-watchingDon’t have time to test detailsAesthetics are integralRely on our gutCreative, visionary

Every choice is testedTakes others experience with a grain of salt

Everything is a logic problemRely on data for decision-making

Aesthetics are secondaryNo detail is too small to test

Never trust your gutCold, calculating

* From Joshua Porter’s “Metrics-Driven Design” presentation at UX London

Decision Spectrum Applies to all - product, design or business

* From Joshua Porter’s “Metrics-Driven Design” presentation at UX London

Notoriously data-driven?Data-driven

Some of our competitors have great aestheticsIntution-driven

Intuition-driven Data-driven

Create a balance We at SlideShare try to balance data and intuition

Balance helps Even without a great visual design, users still prefer us to other platforms

Here’s how we used data (and some intuition) to increase uploads on SlideShare

Uploads Flow

1 Newsfeed 2 Uploads Page

3 File Selector opens4 File is published

Reduce number of steps in the upload flow to improve conversion

Remeber our Goal Increase number of Uploads

Proposed Uploads Flow

2 File Selector opens3 File is published

Project “Quick Upload”

1 Newsfeed

Conversion Funnel

Upload CTA clicks in top nav

Reach Upload page and click on CTA Select File File Published

Existing Uploads Flow

100% 63% 52% 45%

Conversion Funnel Test the results

Upload CTA clicks in top nav

Reach Upload page and click on CTA Select File File Published

Existing Uploads Flow

100% 63% 52% 45%

Upload CTA clicks in top nav Select File File Published

Project Quick Upload

100% 49% 37%

Give context to users, that’ll prompt them to upload

(essentially adding one more step)

#2

Project Quick Upload

2 Modal Upload Window

3 File Selector opens4 File is published

Iteration #2

1 Newsfeed

Conversion Funnel

Upload CTA clicks in top nav

Reach Upload page and click on CTA Select File File Published

Existing Uploads Flow

100% 63% 52% 45%

Conversion Funnel Test the results

Upload CTA clicks in top nav

Reach Upload page and click on CTA Select File File Published

Existing Uploads Flow

100% 63% 52% 45%

Upload CTA clicks in top nav Select File File Published

Project Quick Upload with modal upload window

100% 52% 46%Upload CTA clicks on

the modal

62%

We wanted more uploads,and not create a new flow that gave par results

Project Quick Upload Iteration #3

Introduced a panel which had the Quick Upload CTA along with the context

Project Quick Upload Iteration #3

Introduced a panel which had the Quick Upload CTA along with the context

Conversion Funnel Test the results

Upload CTA clicks in top nav

Reach Upload page and click on CTA Select File File Published

Existing Uploads Flow

100% 63% 52% 45%

Select File File Published

Project Quick Upload with new upload panel

59% 51%Upload CTA clicks on

the panel

100%

+ Additional upload because of two upload buttons

Conversion Funnel Test the results

Upload CTA clicks in top nav

Reach Upload page and click on CTA Select File File Published

Existing Uploads Flow

100% 63% 52% 45%

Select File File Published

Project Quick Upload with new upload panel

59% 51%Upload CTA clicks on

the panel

100%

+ Additional upload because of two upload buttons

Not the best visual design in the world

But we are not complaining, we have increased uploads by a significant number!

“Radical innovation requires both evidence and intuition: evidence to become informed, and intuition to inspire us in

imagining and creating new and better possibilities.”

Jane Fulton Suri, IDEO

Cheat-sheet for data awesomeness

Define actionable metrics1 Before starting any test/project, state metrics that you want to impact. Keep a track of those metrics throughout the project

Socialize data2 Make sure your entire team has access and goes through key metrics

Iterate, iterate and iterate3 Keep iterating over your baseline design by focusing on actionable metrics

Avoid the local maxima problem4 Don’t get caught up in over optimization

Data Ergonomics5 Ensure easy consumption of data for everyone

That’s all folks!