The document discusses how the product manager at SlideShare used both data and intuition to drive product decisions. It outlines how they tested reducing the number of steps in the upload flow from 4 steps to 2 steps, which increased uploads by 37%. They further iterated on the design by adding contextual information, and then by introducing an upload panel with the quick upload CTA and context. This final iteration increased uploads by 51% compared to the original flow. The document advocates balancing data and intuition when making decisions and provides tips for using data effectively in products and designs.

1. Using data to drive
product decisions
Arpit Dhariwal
Product Manager, SlideShare-LinkedIn

2. Intuition-driven Data-driven
Make best-guesses
Rely on previous experiences
Study what others are doing
Use best practices, principles and patterns
Might use data for trend-watching
Don’t have time to test details
Aesthetics are integral
Rely on our gut
Creative, visionary
Every choice is tested
Takes others experience with a grain of salt
Everything is a logic problem
Rely on data for decision-making
Aesthetics are secondary
No detail is too small to test
Never trust your gut
Cold, calculating
* From Joshua Porter’s “Metrics-Driven Design” presentation at UX London
Decision Spectrum Applies to all - product, design or business

3. * From Joshua Porter’s “Metrics-Driven Design” presentation at UX London
Notoriously data-driven?Data-driven

4. Some of our competitors have great aestheticsIntution-driven

5. Intuition-driven Data-driven
Create a balance We at SlideShare try to balance data and intuition

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

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

8. Uploads Flow
1 Newsfeed 2 Uploads Page
3 File Selector opens4 File is published

9. Reduce number of steps in the upload
flow to improve conversion
Remeber our Goal Increase number of Uploads

10. Proposed Uploads Flow
2 File Selector opens3 File is published
Project “Quick Upload”
1 Newsfeed

11. 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%

12. 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%

13. Give context to users, that’ll prompt
them to upload
(essentially adding one more step)
#2

14. Project Quick Upload
2 Modal Upload Window
3 File Selector opens4 File is published
Iteration #2
1 Newsfeed

15. 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%

16. 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%

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

18. Project Quick Upload Iteration #3
Introduced a panel which had the Quick Upload CTA along with the context

19. Project Quick Upload Iteration #3
Introduced a panel which had the Quick Upload CTA along with the context

20. 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

21. 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!

22. “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

23. Cheat-sheet for data
awesomeness

24. Define actionable metrics
1Before starting any test/project, state metrics that you want to
impact. Keep a track of those metrics throughout the project

25. Socialize data
2Make sure your entire team has access and goes through
key metrics

26. Iterate, iterate and iterate
3Keep iterating over your baseline design by focusing on
actionable metrics

27. Avoid the local maxima problem
4Don’t get caught up in over optimization

28. Data Ergonomics
5Ensure easy consumption of data for everyone

29. That’s all folks!