Defending your design: fight opinion with experimentation

Are you tired of arbitrary changes being suggested for your designs — ads, copy, layout — based solely on opinion. We talk about defending your design in part two of my conversation with Tom Niemeyer.

Tom Niemeyer and Brian Massey of Conversion Sciences

All Episodes

Defend your design.

Let’s face it. Your design work is going to be evaluated by neophytes. Whether you work as part of an in-house team or in an agency, your best work is going to be judged by company executives who’ve never spent a day studying design, done any UX research, or even own a box of crayons.

The best of them will defer to your judgment. Until they don’t.

But these are the neophytes who write checks. They have not earned their red pen, but they paid for it.

Does it pay to stand as the Captain America for their prospects and customers? Or is it smarter to give them what they want?

Do data-driven designers get fired more often than designers with a good story?

Defending Your Designs

I’ve been in many meetings when our data clearly contradicts the decisions of a designer. I’m going to tell you the truth. We usually lose. That’s right, the whims of a designer override the science-driven, lab-coat wearing data of a Conversion Scientist.

I’ll also say this: most designers welcome the data, so this scenario is rare.

Basically, it boils down to the culture of the business.

“Once an organization becomes comfortable with risk, they almost immediately snap into reducing that risk.”

Can data help you defend your designs?

In part 2 of my conversation with designer Tom Niemeyer, we explore this question. And others.

“Design is really a negotiation,” says Tom. Let’s see what this means for you.

“The process we go through allows them to take more risks while reducing the potential cost, the potential downsides.”

We’d like to hear from you

At the time of this recording, most of us are not working from the office, not commuting. We’d like to hear from you.

What is your situation. How is the coronavirus and its financial fall out impacting your company, your work and your customers?

Shoot us an email at podcast@conversionsciences.com. We’ll discuss it in another episode.

Brian Massey

Conversion Scientist™ at Conversion Sciences

Brian Massey is the Founder and Conversion Scientist™ at Conversion Sciences, a sought-after international speaker, and author of Your Customer Creation Equation. He is passionate about transforming websites through a steady diet of visitor profiling, purposeful content, analytics, and AB testing.

Expertise: conversion rate optimization, AB testing, marketing strategy, digital marketing, analytics, landing page design, computer programming, entrepreneurship

Speaking: IBM, Inbound, LeadsCon, Content Marketing World, Affiliate Summit, and more

Books and Training: Your Conversion Creation Equation, Video CRO, Marketing Videos that Convert, CRO Best Practices

As Seen On: ClickZ, Search Engine Land, Marketing Land, Conversion Sciences Blog, Intended Consequences podcast

Education: Texas A&M University, BS Computer Science and Management