How do you prioritize design improvements that aren’t directly tied to short-term business goals but would really improve user experience?

Focus on the user and customer behavior and longer-term growth impact.

Even if it doesn’t immediately boost revenue, better navigation or improved accessibility can increase retention and satisfaction down the road.

At LinkedIn and Slideshare, I learned to tie even subtle design tweaks to core engagement metrics. For example, how quickly users find what they’re looking for or how often they return.

By running small usability tests, monitoring improvements in user task success rates, and paying attention to site speed and clarity of copy, I can show how these changes gradually uplift key growth metrics. It might not spike revenue tomorrow, but over time, these improvements reduce churn and build trust, indirectly benefiting the bottom line.

• Quantify user pain via surveys or usability tests.

• Track secondary or guardrail metrics, like lower abandonment or improved NPS.

• Embedding these improvements into a long-term optimization roadmap, treating them as strategic investments in future growth.