# Methods

Methods help teams frame the data inside an initiative.Once an initiative is clear, design needs a way to bring signals into the work. This is not only about testing a prototype or running another study. Those are useful techniques, but methods are broader than that.A method gives the team a frame for looking at the work.An onboarding initiative may need a journey frame to see where users lose momentum.A pricing initiative may need a comparison frame to see which message creates more trust.A navigation initiative may need an information structure frame to see how people expect content to be grouped.A product adoption initiative may need a workflow frame to see how signals affect product, marketing, sales, and support.Each initiative creates different framing needs.Designers often reach for iterative testing and prototyping because those methods are close to the craft. They help teams shape ideas quickly and learn through use. But Focus methods also include ways to compare competitors, benchmark progress, map journeys, segment audiences, review workflows, evaluate tradeoffs, and connect findings back to business decisions.The method should match the initiative. The goal is not to use every method. The goal is to choose the frame that helps the team understand the data, compare the right options, and decide what should move forward.Why methods matterMost teams have more data than clarity.They may have user comments, analytics, survey results, stakeholder feedback, support tickets, research findings, and prototype reactions. But without a method, that evidence stays scattered. People see different things in the same data.Methods help teams look at the work through a shared frame.They help design and product:bring the right data into the initiativeorganize signals around the decisioncompare ideas, moments, audiences, or competitorsunderstand which tradeoffs matterconnect design evidence to business workflowsdecide what deserves more investmentA strong method does not just collect data. It helps the team use data.What goes into a methodA method starts with the objective.Before choosing a frame, the team needs to know what they are trying to understand. The same data can lead to different conclusions depending on the method used to organize it.A journey frame might show where momentum breaks across steps.A competitor frame might show where the experience feels weaker in the market.A concept frame might show which ideas create the strongest signal.A benchmark frame might show whether the work is improving over time.The objective shapes the method.It affects:what data gets pulled inwhich signals matter mostwhat gets comparedwhich audience or context matterswhat tradeoff needs to be understoodwhat decision the method should supportA strong method usually starts with:the initiative being shapedthe objective for the workthe signals already collectedthe UX metrics that matterthe concepts, moments, or competitors being comparedthe decision the team needs to make nextWithout a clear objective, methods become a loose activity.With one, the team can frame the data, compare ideas fairly, and explain why one direction deserves more energy.CompetitorsUse this frame when the initiative needs market context.This helps teams understand where competitors feel stronger, where your experience creates more value, and what expectations users may already bring from other products.Example methods:Competitive analysisCompetitor UX benchmarkReverse impact mappingFeature comparison matrixPositioning comparisonCompetitor journey reviewCompetitive desirability scoringUse this when the team needs to see how the work performs beyond its own product.IterationsUse this frame when the team needs to improve an idea through repeated cycles.This helps teams compare versions, track lift, and see which changes create stronger signals over time.Example methods:A/B testingDesign test loopRapid concept testingMVP prototypeAssumption mappingVariant comparisonBefore-and-after testingIterative usability reviewConcept refinement loopUse this when the team already has a direction, but needs to sharpen it before investing more.TimelineUse this frame when the team needs to decide sequence, urgency, or timing.This helps teams understand what should happen now, what can wait, and what needs to be solved before other work can move.Example methods:Eisenhower MatrixMoSCoW MethodOpportunity Solution TreeNow / Next / LaterRoadmap sequencingImpact vs. effort mappingRelease readiness reviewDecision deadline mappingUse this when the team needs to manage priority without losing the larger direction.JourneysUse this frame when the initiative spans multiple steps or touchpoints.This helps teams see where users lose momentum, where friction builds, and which moments deserve more attention.Example methods:Journey mappingShopping cart flowOnboarding flowService blueprintFunnel reviewDrop-off mappingMoment mappingTouchpoint analysisEnd-to-end experience reviewUse this when the problem is bigger than one screen, page, or feature.Platforms / DevicesUse this frame when the experience changes across devices, channels, or contexts.This helps teams understand whether the design holds up across the places users actually interact with it.Example methods:Device comparisonMobile vs. desktop reviewCross-platform experience mappingResponsive behavior reviewChannel comparisonAccessibility device reviewContext-of-use reviewPlatform constraint mappingUse this when the same experience needs to work across different environments.User Goals / TasksUse this frame when the initiative depends on what users are trying to accomplish.This helps teams compare how well the experience supports real tasks, goals, and moments of progress.Example methods:Task analysisImportance and satisfaction frameworkInteraction matrixGravity scoreJobs-to-be-Done mappingGoal friction mappingTask success reviewOutcome prioritizationUser intent mappingUse this when the team needs to understand whether the work helps users get something done.Geographies / RegionsUse this frame when the experience needs to work across locations, markets, or cultures.This helps teams understand where expectations, language, behavior, or constraints change by region.Example methods:Regional experience comparisonLocalization reviewMarket readiness reviewCultural context mappingRegional benchmarkLanguage clarity reviewCompliance and regional constraint reviewGeo-segmented signal comparisonUse this when the same product or message may not land the same way everywhere.User LifecycleUse this frame when the initiative affects different stages of the customer relationship.This helps teams understand how needs change from awareness to onboarding, adoption, retention, and expansion.Example methods:User metricsSimple, Lovable, and Complete frameworkMVO, Minimum Viable OfferMMP, Minimum Marketable ProductMLP, Minimum Lovable ProductLifecycle stage mappingAdoption path reviewRetention moment analysisActivation signal reviewUse this when the work needs to support users at a specific stage, not just improve a single interaction.Behavioral TriggersUse this frame when the team needs to understand what causes users to act.This helps teams see what prompts action, what creates hesitation, and what conditions need to be in place for behavior to change.Example methods:Behavioral Triggers, EAST FrameworkUX impact mappingTrigger mappingMotivation / ability reviewFriction and prompt analysisHabit loop mappingMoment-of-action reviewNudge analysisUse this when the initiative depends on getting users to start, continue, or complete an action.SegmentsUse this frame when different audiences may respond differently to the same experience.This helps teams compare user groups, roles, cohorts, or need states so the signal is not averaged into something too vague to use.Example methods:Empathy mappingJobs-to-be-DoneCompetence matrixSegment comparisonRole-based journey reviewAudience priority matrixNeeds-based segmentationCohort signal reviewUse this when one experience needs to serve different types of users.Feature UsageUse this frame when the initiative depends on which features users value, adopt, or ignore.This helps teams compare feature ideas, prioritize product changes, and understand which parts of the product create real use.Example methods:Opportunity scoringKano ModelFeature prioritization via weighted scoringFeature adoption reviewUsage pattern analysisFeature value mappingFrequency vs. importance matrixRetention by feature reviewUse this when the team needs to decide what to build, improve, reduce, or remove.Risk and ProofUse this frame when the team needs to reduce uncertainty before making a larger investment.This helps teams understand what could break, what needs proof, and what level of evidence is enough to move forward.Example methods:Four Big RisksHATS surveyProof of ConceptVideo testingRisk mappingSmoke testPilot reviewExpert reviewStakeholder signal reviewUse this when the cost of being wrong is high.FrameworksUse this frame when the team needs a structured model to organize thinking, compare options, or explain tradeoffs.Frameworks help teams make the work easier to discuss, especially when many people are involved in the decision.Example methods:5Ds5W1H FrameworkAssumption mappingContent testingCopywriting frameworksFull Loop Analytics FrameworkGap analysisGIST FrameworkGoogle HEART FrameworkICE Scoring ModelKPI TreesLNOMeasure & Analyze DataProduct Market FitRICE FrameworkSpotlight FrameworkSUS TestingValue vs. Complexity QuadrantWeighted scoring prioritizationXYZ HypothesisZenko MappingHow to choose a methodStart with the decision the team needs to make. Do not start by asking, “What test should we run?” Start by asking, “What frame would help us understand this work clearly?”Use five steps.1. Name the initiative objectiveClarify what the initiative is trying to improve.The objective might be to increase adoption, reduce friction, improve trust, sharpen positioning, simplify a journey, or decide which concept deserves more investment.This keeps the method tied to the larger business and user outcome.2. Identify the decisionName what the team needs to decide next.This might be:which concept deserves more investmentwhich part of the journey needs attentionwhich version creates a stronger signalwhich audience should be prioritizedwhich competitor gap matters mostwhich direction helps the business move forwardThe clearer the decision, the easier it is to choose the frame.3. Look at the data you already haveReview the signals, findings, UX metrics, user comments, analytics, and stakeholder input already available.The team may already have enough evidence to frame the decision. The method helps organize that evidence before collecting more.Ask:What signals do we already have?Which UX metrics are relevant?What user comments add context?What business data matters?What is still unclear?This keeps the team from collecting more data before using what it already knows.4. Choose the frame that fits the decisionPick the method frame that best organizes the data around the decision.If the issue spans steps, use a journey frame.If market context matters, use a competitor frame.If timing matters, use a timeline frame.If different users respond differently, use a segment frame.If the team needs to choose between ideas, use an iteration or comparison frame.The method should make the data easier to interpret.5. Define what gets comparedMake the comparison explicit.The team might compare:conceptsversionsaudiencesjourney momentscompetitorslifecycle stagesplatforms or devicesfeaturesriskstime periodsThis step keeps the method from becoming vague. It shows what the team is actually looking at side by side.What comes out of a methodThe output of a method is a clearer frame for action.A strong method gives the team:a way to organize the dataa clear comparisona stronger interpretation of the signala tradeoff the team can explaina finding that supports a decisiona next move for the initiativeThe value is not just the data.The value is the frame that helps the team see what the data means and what to do next.Where methods work bestMethods work best when the initiative is clear enough to compare something.Use methods when the team has signals, findings, concepts, or business input, but needs a better frame for making sense of it. They are especially useful when the team has many possible concepts, competing stakeholder views, or a decision that needs clearer evidence.Methods work less well when the team has not clarified the initiative. If the user need, business goal, audience, or objective is still unclear, go back to Define or Initiatives first. A method can organize evidence, but it cannot fix a poorly framed problem.Where methods fit in GlareMethods sit inside the Focus facet of Glare.Initiatives define the area of work that needs attention. Methods give the team a frame for bringing data into that work. Comparing places the signals side by side. Decisions turn the evidence into action.In the Focus flow:Initiatives define what needs attention.Methods frame the data.Comparing shows what is stronger.Decisions move the work forward.Methods are how Focus makes data usable. They help teams bring signals into the right frame, compare what matters, and move toward better decisions.AI PromptThis prompt helps you choose the right frame for understanding your data rather than defaulting to the nearest test.Start with a named initiative and the decision your team needs to make next. It guides you to:Name the objective for the work so the method stays tied to an outcomeLook at the data already available before collecting moreChoose the frame that best organizes your evidence around the decisionDefine what gets compared so the method produces a finding rather than a reportYou'll end with a named method frame and a clear comparison ready to bring into the next round of work.Use this after an initiative is scoped and before collection begins, when the team needs to agree on how to look at the data.AI SkillsThe Methods skill file teaches your AI all 13 method frames with named methods inside each one so it can help you choose the frame that fits the decision rather than the one most familiar to the team.Load it when you need to go deeper on matching a frame to an initiative objective, choosing between journey mapping and competitor analysis or segment comparison, or knowing when to route back to initiatives before forcing a method. It gives your AI:The 13 method frames with named methods and when to use eachThe five-step selection process from naming the objective through defining what gets comparedThe guidance for knowing when data is ready to frame versus when the initiative needs more clarity firstThe full list of named methods organized by frame including JTBD, Kano Model, HEART, RICE, and moreDownload the skill file below to use the full Methods framework with your AI assistant.