"Only around 10% of junior to mid-level designers include any metrics in their portfolios. Even at senior levels, metrics tend to be design-focused: task completion rates, user satisfaction, or system adoption. These measures reflect design quality and usability, but they often stop short of showing what stakeholders truly care about: business outcomes. That gap in language creates a trust barrier between design teams and decision-makers. We often demonstrate how users feel, but not how that translates into performance, efficiency, or growth."
"When our teams talk only about usability or delight, we risk optimizing for the interface instead of the organization. Design, at its best, is a business function. It creates measurable outcomes: reduces costs, increases conversions, improves productivity. If we want design to be viewed as a true business partner, we need to show how our work contributes to growth and efficiency, not just to smoother interactions."
Many UX portfolios omit business metrics; only around 10% of junior-to-mid designers include metrics, and senior metrics focus on task completion, user satisfaction, or adoption. Such measures show usability but often fail to show business outcomes, creating a language gap and a trust barrier with decision-makers. Design should be treated as a business function that produces measurable outcomes: reduced costs, increased conversions, and improved productivity. Freelancers also benefit from reporting business metrics to justify investment. To be seen as true business partners, designers need to connect design changes to growth, efficiency, performance, and organizational impact.
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