# Results

Why Results MatterResults are where design signals prove their value. The Glare framework ties initiatives, findings, and decisions across workflows into outcomes leaders can trust. Without this structure, metrics stay stuck in reports. With it, they turn into proof that design is shaping business success.Dino Frankehad this to say..Measurements can sometimes be messy. Because design lives at the intersection of business goals and human behavior, the biggest challenge is getting teams to agree on which metrics truly matter before starting the project.How to Read ResultsProject WorkProject work is a continuous loop. Initiatives frame broad pressures into testable concepts, findings turn tests into evidence, and decisions convert that evidence into action. Each decision sparks the next initiative, keeping design tied to business results.InitiativesThis is where the cross-functional work begins. Initiatives describe the pressure or opportunity the organization is responding to, often too broad to tackle at once. The job of design is to frame them into testable concept areas and prioritize what matters most.FindingsWhat testing reveals from concepts. Findings are the evidence that makes friction visible, quantified through UX metrics. They replace opinion battles with design signals that teams can act on.DecisionsHow choices get made. Decisions are the pivot point where evidence is turned into action, choosing which flow to redesign, what content to prioritize, what path to invest in.WorkflowsWorkflows sit at the center of results. A design signal only becomes proof when multiple business functions act on it together.Design surfaces user signals. Product ties them to adoption. Sales and Marketing use them to prove value in market. Operations and Support reduce costs by removing friction. Finance and Strategy connect it all to growth, efficiency, and revenue.Collaboration is what keeps the chain intact. It links user outcomes to product performance to business results. Without connected workflows, the story falls apart.User NeedsEvery result begins with a user need. If you don’t start here, you risk solving the wrong problem. User needs anchor the map, ensuring outcomes tie back to real people instead of internal assumptions.Why user needs matterThey define what people are trying to get done.They shape which signals matter most.They prevent wasted effort on features that never get used.OutcomesResults don’t stand alone. To prove design’s value, outcomes must connect in a clear chain, from what users experience, to how products perform, to the business impact leaders care about.User Outcomes (Design KPIs)Proof at the experience level. Did users succeed in the moment? These signals show whether design solved the need directly.Product Outcomes (Product KPIs)Proof at the product level. Did adoption and engagement improve? These show how user success cascades into stickier usage.Business Outcomes (Business KPIs)Proof at the company level. Did revenue, retention, or efficiency move? These show whether product improvements translated into measurable business impact.Business GoalsBusiness goals reflect the big pressures every company feels,  growth, retention, efficiency, and beyond. The question is whether the problem has been framed correctly and whether the goals being chased actually make sense.Results should not only support these goals but also shape them, showing leaders where design can be a true lever rather than a side project.Case StudyUniversity Website Redesign Enrollment GrowthInitiativeEnrollment had stalled, and leadership wanted the website to play a bigger role in recruiting. The scope was wide, over 44 concept areas were identified, from navigation and program discovery to student life content and calls to action. Design’s job was to sort the noise into priorities.By testing quickly, the team narrowed focus to three critical flows,  navigation, homepage, and request-for-information, where friction most directly influenced whether a student took the next step.44+ concept areas identified for improvementDesign targeted top-impact flows first: navigation, homepage, RFIInitiative goal: turn the website into a stronger recruiting engineFindingsTesting surfaced clear friction points that leaders hadn’t seen:Students couldn’t easily find majors and degree information.The RFI form, buried too low, hurt lead capture.Cluttered navigation slowed exploration, especially on mobile.UX metrics quantified the gaps:Navigation usability:+36% with reorganized structureRFI form findability:+19% when elevated on pageHomepage impressions:+57% positive lift when majors were prioritizedDecisionsArmed with evidence, the team made targeted choices that cut through debate:Navigation:simplified menus around primary student goals.Homepage:elevated “Degrees & Majors” over “Apply Now,” shifting emphasis to exploration first.RFI Form:moved higher on the page while retaining imagery that improved impressions.Each choice linked directly back to signals, not just opinions.Workflows InvolvedThis wasn’t a design-only effort. Multiple functions had skin in the game:Marketingreshaped messaging to highlight programs that students cared most about.Product/Webdelivered the structural fixes to navigation and content hierarchy.Operations/Admissionsprepared to handle higher-quality leads from a better RFI flow.By showing value in each workflow, design earned allies across departments.User Outcomes (Design KPIs)Students found the experience easier, clearer, and more persuasive:Navigation usability improved by36%RFI form findability rose by19%Homepage impressions lifted57%Product Outcomes (Product KPIs)These gains showed up in how students used the site:More completed RFI forms → stronger lead pipelineHigher engagement with degree/major content → students exploring deeperBusiness Outcomes (Business KPIs)At the business level, design’s changes meant:Growth in prospective student leadsA more efficient admissions funnel, with better-qualified applicantsBusiness GoalThe university’s core pressure, to grow enrollment, was directly supported.The ResultBy connecting initiatives, findings, and decisions across workflows, design moved the needle on a mission-critical goal. What began as 44 scattered ideas became a chain of evidence: usability improved, students engaged more deeply, leads grew, and enrollment pressure eased. This is what results look like when design signals are mapped all the way up.AI PromptThis prompt helps you close the loop between a design initiative and the business outcome it was meant to drive.Start with one initiative that has gone through findings and decisions but hasn't yet been connected to a measurable outcome. It guides you to:Map the initiative through all four layers: Initiatives, Findings, Decisions, and OutcomesIdentify which layer is missing or broken using the 15-symptom diagnosticApply the right calibration from the five-dimension maturity modelFrame the outcome as direction-of-travel proof rather than a single precise numberYou'll end with structured proof of impact that's ready to share in a leadership update, not assembled after one.Use this after any significant design effort when you need to show what the work actually changed and connect it to a business outcome leadership can verify.AI SkillThe Results skill file teaches your AI the full four-layer Project Work loop and maturity model so it can help you close the gap between any design effort and the business outcome it was meant to drive.Load it when you need to go deeper on the 15-symptom diagnostic, the five Dimensions of Design Maturity, or using the University Website case study as a reference for what a complete Results loop looks like in practice. It gives your AI:The four-layer Initiatives to Outcomes loop with the break-identification processThe five Dimensions of Design Maturity with scoring rubric and micro-actions for eachThe complete 15-symptom diagnostic with verbatim calibration tipsThe Results Alignment Checklist and the University Website case studyDownload the skill file below to use the full Results framework with your AI assistant.