Focus your design in 3 simple steps

We can’t stress enough the fact that design is about decision. Knowing which features to build is just as important as knowing which features not to build.

But, how do you know what your scope should be?

When helping a client define its design strategy, we like to use the following technique because it forces people to make decisions.

We haven’t invented the technique but have used it in various fields including business management, vacation planning, design, etc.

Step 1: Create a graph and define your axis. We often use business value and feasability but, your variables could really be anything (cost, ressources, time, etc).

Step 2: Create a list of features and assign grades for each axis. Allow for 3 points per feature (eg. 5 features X 3 points = 15 points to assign). Rate those features along each axis, 5 being the highest mark and 1 the lowest.

Defining the relative importance of your features will force you to make decisions. Multiple team members can participate; the average or ensuing discussion should help you reach concensus.

Step 3: Update your graph with the values obtained in step 2. Positioning each feature on the grid should give you a quick overview of what your scope should be.

In this example, we can see that Online Payment and Registration are the most valuable features followed, in order, by Related products, Personalized newsletter and User interface personalization.

Working your way from the highest priorities (P1) to the lowest (P3) should help you keep your priorities aligned with your business objectives.

Although this technique works best with a small number of features, it can scale to a few hundred features. It is a powerful tool every design team should use.