The ROI of Good Design: Making the Business Case

Designers often struggle to communicate the value of their work in business terms. Let's explore how to measure and articulate design's impact on the bottom line.

The Business Impact of Design

Companies that prioritize design consistently outperform their peers:

Design-led companies have 32% more revenue growth

Good UX can increase conversion rates by up to 400%

Every $1 invested in UX returns $100

Measuring Design ROI

Quantitative Metrics

Conversion Metrics:

Signup/purchase rates

Task completion rates

Error rates

Time on task

Business Metrics:

Revenue per user

Customer acquisition cost

Customer lifetime value

Support ticket volume

Qualitative Metrics

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Customer satisfaction (CSAT)

Brand perception studies

User feedback and reviews

Building the Business Case

When presenting to stakeholders:

Start with the problem - What's the cost of the current state?

Propose the solution - How will design address it?

Project the impact - What metrics will improve?

Show precedent - Case studies and industry data

Define success - How will you measure it?

"Good design is good business." — Thomas Watson Jr., former CEO of IBM

Case Study: Checkout Redesign

A recent client saw these results after a checkout redesign:

MetricBeforeAfterChange

|--------|--------|-------|--------|

Conversion Rate2.1%3.8%+81% Cart Abandonment68%45%-34% Support Tickets120/week45/week-63%

The redesign paid for itself in 6 weeks.

Communicating Value

Tips for talking about design:

Use business language, not design jargon

Connect design decisions to business outcomes

Share data and metrics regularly

Celebrate wins visibly

Document the process

Conclusion

Design's value is undeniable when measured properly. The key is connecting creative work to business outcomes in language stakeholders understand.

Ready to discuss how design can drive your business results? Let's connect.