Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Key Metrics: Comparing Three Letter Acronym Metrics That Include the Word “Key”
Summary
Why do so many metrics include the word “Key”? How do those metrics differ, and how do teams and organizations decide which key metric is best for them? Join this DesignOps community discussion to compare different types of three letter acronym metrics such as KPI, KEI, and KSP (Key Performance Indicator, Key Experience Indicator, and Key Strategic Priorities). And let's not forget OKR's (Objectives and Key Results)!
Key Insights
-
•
Nicole emphasizes linking accessibility initiatives to corporate Key Strategic Priorities to demonstrate business value beyond compliance.
-
•
Shashi's KPI Compass framework categorizes innovation metrics into quadrants balancing leading/lagging and thought leadership/impact.
-
•
Key Experience Indicators (KEIs) are distinct from KPIs and focus on user-centered measures that predict experience failure risks.
-
•
Measuring behavior change is crucial to predicting innovation success, not just tracking final business metrics.
-
•
Consistency in metrics terminology and templates across teams helps avoid sidetracking conversations with engineering partners.
-
•
Canary indicators identify critical experience fail points that can doom a product if not monitored carefully.
-
•
Strategic priorities, like Hilton’s KSPs, tend to remain stable over years to guide multi-year initiatives reliably.
-
•
Storytelling and communication training are vital for teams to convey the value of accessibility and design work aligned with business objectives.
-
•
In ambiguous or innovative contexts, metrics should remain a conversation starter rather than imposed fixed covenants.
-
•
Using user and market feedback can shift early metrics from vanity measures (like downloads) to meaningful adoption and usage data.
Notable Quotes
"If we are working on something that does not ladder up to our KSPs, then we should not be working on it."
"The canary in the coal mine—that’s how we identify the fail points in the user experience we absolutely can’t miss."
"Innovation is invention multiplied by adoption multiplied by inclusion."
"Metrics are always a conversation, they shouldn’t be a covenant."
"Adoption is the only thing that matters in innovation. If you’re not changing behavior, you haven’t innovated."
"Key is a reminder that these metrics reflect what is authoritative and important to the customer and the business."
"If you only measure vanity metrics like downloads, you risk tracking numbers that don’t translate to real usage or value."
"Our KSPs do not change year over year because changing them frequently is disruptive for the business direction."
"We use storytelling to turn accessibility from just compliance into a business differentiator that executives care about."
"When there’s dispute over what to measure, use that as an opportunity to discuss the behavior you want to change and the value capture."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The happier their team is, the better the work they deliver for me will be."
Smitha Papolu Nova Wehman-Brown Melissa Schmidt Adam MenterTheme 3 Discussion
January 8, 2024
"The competencies allow managers to celebrate individualism while maintaining consistency across teams."
Laine Riley ProkayHow DesignOps can Drive Inclusive Career Ladders for All
September 30, 2021
"AI-driven results are often 30 to 50 percent hallucinogenic—meaning not real—so we need to be cautious about overreliance."
Taylor KlassmanShaping the Next Era of UX Research: Collaborative Forum
March 11, 2025
"Designers should not be left to figure things out alone as we grow faster."
Ebru NamaldiDesigning the Designer’s Journey: Scaling Teams, Culture, and Growth Through DesignOps
September 11, 2025
"Open standards rock. Proprietary monopolies keep you from making stuff and limit creativity."
Steve TurbekDesigning Interactive Graphics with AI Code Help
February 5, 2026
"Ethics is not just about compliance; it’s about doing the right thing holistically."
Sheryl Cababa Ethan Marcotte Milena PribicDay 2 Panel
June 5, 2024
"At IBM, projects felt like following a recipe, but at Compass, I can promote my ideas and see how they work, which is very satisfying."
Caitlyn Hampton Monica Lee Jina YoonCompass 101: Growing Your Career In A Startup World
June 11, 2021
"Without a shared purpose, a team is simply a collection of individuals."
Peter MerholzDesign at Scale is People!
June 11, 2021
"Not having direct contact with participants means you can't quickly reschedule or handle last-minute issues effectively."
Roberta Dombrowski Lianna Aduana5 Reasons to Bring your Recruiting in House
September 30, 2021
