1. Measuring the User Experience: The HEART Framework

Google’s HEART framework helps teams measure how users interact with a product on both emotional and functional levels. It includes five focus areas:

Happiness

Measures user sentiment and satisfaction.
Key Metrics:

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Gauges user loyalty by asking how likely users are to recommend the product

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Tracks satisfaction after specific interactions

• System Usability Scale (SUS): Quantifies perceived usability through survey scores

Engagement

Focuses on how frequently and deeply users interact with the product.
Key Metrics:

• Daily Active Users (DAU) and Monthly Active Users (MAU)

• Session duration or average time spent per visit

• Feature adoption rate across specific functionalities

Adoption

Looks at how new users start using the product.
Key Metrics:

• New user sign-ups over a period of time

• First-time user task completion during onboarding

Retention

Shows how well your product keeps users coming back.
Key Metrics:

• Retention rate over 7, 14, or 30 days

• Churn rate or percentage of users who drop off

Task Success

Tracks how easily users can complete key workflows.
Key Metrics:

• Task success rate for specific goals like checkout or sign-up

• Time-on-task for essential actions

• Error rate when users perform tasks

2. Behavioral Metrics That Uncover Friction

Understanding how users behave is critical for identifying usability issues and optimization opportunities.

Conversion Metrics

Micro-Conversions: Small steps like adding a product to a cart
Macro-Conversions: Larger goals like completing a purchase or subscribing

Navigation Behavior

• Search vs. Navigation usage to assess how easily users find what they need

• Rage clicks or taps, where users repeatedly click out of frustration

Drop-Off Points

• Funnel abandonment rate at key stages such as onboarding or checkout

These behavioral metrics provide insights into real-time friction in the user journey.

3. Operational KPIs for Design Teams

Beyond the product experience, design teams should measure how effectively they operate.

Design Efficiency

• Time-to-market: How long it takes from idea to launch

• Number of iterations needed before a feature is finalized

Design Consistency

• Component reuse rate: Tracks how often design system components are used

• Style guide adherence: Measures how closely designs follow brand and system standards

Collaboration Health

• Stakeholder satisfaction: Feedback from cross-functional partners on collaboration and handoff quality

Operational metrics help ensure that the design team runs efficiently while maintaining quality and coherence.

4. Business Impact Metrics

To fully align with company strategy, design must also track its contribution to business outcomes.

Revenue per User (RPU)

Measures the average revenue generated per active user. Improvements in UX can directly influence this figure.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Estimates the total value a customer brings over time, often improved through consistent and frictionless design.

Cost Reduction

• Support ticket volume: Fewer help requests after design improvements can indicate better usability and clearer interfaces

When design positively impacts the bottom line, it earns greater influence across the organization.

Tools for Measuring Design KPIs

Choosing the right tools depends on your team’s size, workflow, and current design maturity.

Best Practices for Tracking Design KPIs

1. Tie Metrics to Business Goals
   Choose KPIs that connect directly to outcomes like revenue growth, user retention, or operational efficiency.

2. Balance Numbers with Stories
   Use both quantitative data (like NPS) and qualitative insights (like interviews) for a complete picture.

3. Benchmark and Improve
   Compare your scores to industry standards or past results to drive continuous improvement. For instance, the average SUS score is around 68.

4. Visualize Progress
   Use dashboards in tools like Looker, Tableau, or Notion to help teams stay aligned and make data-informed decisions.

Final Thoughts

Design is no longer subjective. It is measurable, strategic, and deeply integrated into how businesses grow. By adopting a thoughtful KPI framework, teams can stay accountable, improve user outcomes, and elevate the role of design across the organization.

Whether you're optimizing for user delight, reducing drop-off, or scaling your design operations, KPIs offer the clarity and structure needed to move forward with intention.

If you’re just getting started, begin by picking a few KPIs from each category and tracking them consistently. Over time, your metrics will not only inform better decisions but also tell a clear story of design’s value.