OCXD – The Business Case for Design: Proving ROI Without Vanity Metrics

Experience is widely recognized as essential to building great products and services. But when it comes time to justify investment, the conversation often stalls at surface‑level metrics that don’t meaningfully inform decisions.

In this session, we’ll explore how teams connect experience work to business outcomes without relying on vanity metrics like engagement alone. Instead of trying to force a direct revenue story where one doesn’t exist, we’ll look at how effective experiences reduce risk, improve decision‑making, and contribute to measurable impact across product, operations, and delivery.

This event is designed to be practical, collaborative, and grounded in real scenarios—useful both for people making product or investment decisions and for those practicing design day‑to‑day.

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### WHAT TO EXPECT

Topic Overview

• Why ROI conversations around experience often break down
• The difference between vanity metrics and decision‑grade metrics
• How experience influences behavior, risk, cost, and outcomes
• A practical way to frame design as a strategic investment

Interactive Activity
Participants will work in small groups to:

• Take a real‑world product or UX scenario
• Identify the actual decision leaders are being asked to make
• Map experience improvements to behavioral signals and business impact
• Pressure‑test metrics to separate “nice to report” from “useful for decisions”

Networking
As always, there will be plenty of time to connect with others across UX, product, technology, and leadership.

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### WHO SHOULD ATTEND

• UX and product design practitioners
• Product managers and product leaders
• Design and experience leaders
• Engineers, analysts, and technologists
• Business or transformation leaders exploring customer or employee experience

You do not need a background in finance or analytics. This session focuses on clarity, not complex accounting.

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### WHY THIS MATTERS

Strong UX and product design don’t just improve interfaces—they help teams:

• Make better product and investment decisions
• Reduce rework and operational friction
• Move faster with greater confidence

This session will give you a clearer way to talk about the value of designing great experiences—whether you’re presenting to leadership or helping guide decisions within your team.

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New to UX or OCXD?
You’re welcome here. OCXD events are inclusive, practical, and designed for a wide range of roles, experience levels, and industries.

Free parking available nearby.
We look forward to seeing you there!