Every day we implement more digital products and services on websites or in applications, which complicates the measurement of user experience. Google’s HEART method solves the need to generate user-centric metrics for apps or websites.
This method helps measure progress toward key goals and drive decisions about products or services.
Google’s HEART method
The data obtained from basic traffic metrics, such as page views, number of unique users, devices or browsers, bounce rate, etc. they are easy to obtain and are general data.
These types of metrics help to assess the impact of the changes made to a product, but they are usually very general data, which are difficult to relate to user satisfaction with the product experience and its quality.
To try to solve this problem, Kerry Rodden, Hilary Hutchison, and Xin Fu of the Google team developed the HEART method.
What is the HEART method to measure User Experience
Measuring user experience on a small scale is relatively easy. It is what the UX designers who carry out the research part do on a daily basis observing the users, talking to them, reviewing the metrics, etc.
Google’s HEART method aims to measure user experience on a large scale. Although it is specifically aimed at this type of measurement, the principles are equally useful to apply on a small scale.
Google HEART method metrics
The Google HEART method metrics can be applied to the entire product or service as well as to a specific feature.
happiness
Metrics referring to the attitudes or perceptions of users. They are usually collected through , perceived ease of use, Netpromote Score (NPS), etc. This type of survey can be carried out on the website or application itself.
Engagement
Metrics referring to the level of user participation. The average time it takes to execute a specific task, the use of the functionalities, the conversion rate, etc. are usually collected. The time that the user spends in the application, the number of visits that the website receives by a user per week, etc. are counted.
Adoption
Metrics regarding the initial approval of a product, service, features or functionality. The number of new accounts or visitors, the number of sales, the conversion rate, how many new people have downloaded the app in the last 7 days, etc. are usually collected.
Retention
Metrics regarding existing users and how they become recurring and remain active in the product or service. The renewal rate or the time that a user has an app installed on the device, etc. is usually measured.
Task success
Metrics referring to efficiency, effectiveness and errors. The total number of errors, the success rate, the time it takes for a user to execute a specific task, etc. are usually collected.
How to quantify the UX metrics of the Google HEART method
The 5 metrics are not quantifiable on their own. It is necessary to use the objectives, signals and metrics to be able to obtain figures. It must be defined whether a product, a service or a specific characteristic is being measured.
Goals
The first step is to identify the objectives of the product or feature, logically, focused on the user experience. What do users need to achieve? What is the purpose of the redesign? Is it necessary to attract new users or convert existing ones into more active ones?
Signals
You have to think about how success or failure will manifest in the behavior or attitudes of users in meeting the objectives. What attitudes or behaviors of users would indicate that the objectives have been met? Which would indicate failure?
Signals must be specific to the target. Sometimes failure is much easier to identify than success.
Metrics
It’s about turning signals into specific metrics, suitable for tracking over time on a dashboard. The number of data will increase as the number of users using the service or product grows. To get a figure it is better to use percentages or averages per user. If necessary, the product or service should be compared with similar products or services.
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