27 Mar, 2024
Guides • Sakshi Agrawal • 9 Mins reading time
In UX design, a tricky, unnoticed force guides our choices. That’s survivorship bias.
We often look at what worked (successful users or products) and ignore what didn’t. This oversight skews our views and design choices, affecting the quality of our UX plans.
This survivorship bias is a real pitfall in UX design. It’s when designers build insights on the feedback of users who had a good time, ignoring those who had a rough go or stopped using the product.
In doing this, we overlook important information. We need this information to make designs that are more welcoming and effective.
In this blog, we will discuss what is survivorship bias in UX design, its effect on our work and how this can lead to exhaustive, user-focused design solutions.
For UX designers, product managers and everyone tasked with creating user experiences, getting a handle on survivorship bias is critical to craft top-notch, inclusive products.
Survivorship bias traces back to Abraham Wald, a military statistician who had a special job during World War II.
He had to figure out the best way to armour planes. He saw that planes coming back from battle often had a lot of damage in some spots.
The first thought was to make those spots stronger. But Wald had a new idea. He said the spots without damage were the ones at risk. Why? Because planes hit there didn’t come back.
This is the heart of survivorship bias – when we only look at the things that survive or succeed and forget about those that don’t.
Now, let’s talk tech and design, particularly Survivorship bias in UX (User Experience).
As stated above, it happens when designers only look at data from successful user actions. They forget about users who gave up on the product or didn’t like it.
Imagine an app that only looks at data from users who bought something, but not from users who left their carts. This can give a wrong idea of success.
It can slow down the growth of a product that could serve more users, like those who don’t like the current design.
Survivorship bias isn’t just in technology. It’s in many fields, leading to decisions that miss the full picture.
Check out this video for a better understanding of the Survivorship Bias Concept.
In UX design, survivorship bias can sneak up. Yet its impact can be significant.
Imagine a team making a mobile app. They only listen to users that stick around. But forget about folks who deleted the app fast.
And in online shopping? Survivorship bias hits if feedback only comes from loyal customers. This leaves out folks who didn’t shop again and why.
Another case? Website redesigns. Here decisions are based on the behavior of users who navigate the site successfully, disregarding the experiences of those who couldn’t find what they were looking for and left the site.
Ignoring survivorship bias in UX design can lead to a range of detrimental outcomes that affect not only the product’s immediate success but also its long-term viability and innovation.
A detailed analysis reveals several key risks and pitfalls.
If we ignore survivorship bias, we might make wrong decisions. We rely on limited or bent facts.
This might create parts that don’t hit the mark with most people or don’t solve important user problems, creating a product that could be easier to use.
Products made with survivorship bias often only work for a small group of people who are okay with how things are.
This can upset new or struggling users, who might find it hard to use the product or feel it doesn’t meet what they need.
If you only focus on what works well, you might miss out on features that many users may need.
Thus survivorship can leave your product lacking in key areas. It will only be useful for a small number of people.
If a product doesn’t care for all user needs, people may not stick with it. This leads to less use, people quitting, and a loss in the industry competition.
Ignoring survivorship bias can cut user activity, increase quit rates, and bring down profits.
Not considering all user experiences over time can limit growth and new ideas. Making design choices based on the success of a smaller user group can hinder solution-finding and new ways of thinking that could help many.
It slows product growth and stops it from reaching top design and features.
Read more on: Impact of Survivorship Bias on UX Design
Spotting survivorship bias in UX research is key. It helps us better understand good and bad user experiences.
To spot the survivorship bias, we use different techniques. These help us see past the most obvious data.
To spot survivorship bias, try using different data sources. Don’t just use number-based data like analytics and metrics.
Add insights from talking to users, surveys or usability tests. It’s good to include thoughts from users who didn’t like their experience or quit using the product.
Looking at where and when people quit or stop using something unearths precious clues.
High quit rates in certain parts of a webpage or an app might signal hidden problems ignored while just centered on successful experiences.
Gathering and examining comments from various user groups, including frequent and rare users, can reveal survivor bias.
It involves exploring the experiences of first-time users, users who use the service less often, and those who have completely quit using the product or service.
Don’t ignore any user feedback, whether it’s successful or not. It offers valuable information.
Studying the unique and less fruitful experiences helps us improve a product for more people.
By studying user behaviour and comments continuously, we can spot patterns.
This can’t be seen with short-term studies. This way, we can see how user needs change and how to modify our products to match.
To lessen survivorship bias, a broad method is needed. This method must not just reflect on successful users, but also gain insights from all users.
Negative user experiences play a crucial part in creating a fair design. Here’s how you can fight survivorship bias:
First, widen your research. It should include all users, not just those who are successful or outspoken, but also the slighted users.
Allow various feedback outlets. Ways to do this include surveys, interviews, social media, and observing users. You’ll gather many different users’ experiences this way.
Actively listen to and give weight to negative remarks and complaints. They’re golden for spotting problems; you can’t see these from solely positive feedback.
See where and why users leave or quit. Knowing these issues gives key info on what to fix.
Make personas that mirror all users, even those who find parts of the product hard.
Use a design method that tests and edits based on all user feedback. Each change should fix problems noted in the last cycle.
Always look at user opinions and product data to spot any rising trends or problems that might need care.
Pair number data (like clicks and views counts) with people talk (collected from user chats and questionnaires) for a full picture.
Make a place where folks aren’t shy to share real feedback, even if it’s bad.
Set up trial sessions with users of different backgrounds, especially those who are new to the product.
Listen to what users are saying online about the product. You might unearth raw opinions and experiences.
By adopting these strategies, designers and product teams can create UX designs that are more representative of the entire user base, thus mitigating the effects of survivorship bias.
This inclusive approach leads to products that are not only successful among a few but are genuinely user-centric and cater to a broader audience.
To conclude Survivorship Bias highlights the critical importance of recognizing and addressing biases in UX design. It’s about creating better products by listening to all users, not just successful ones.
If you’re a professional dealing with this, our UI UX Designer‘s approach can help you. Our UX design is all about hearing everyone. This makes sure your product isn’t only good-looking, but also works for everybody. A wide view like this helps create real-world success in design.
You may also like to read our blog on:
Best Minimalist Website Design Examples
Top 10 Mobile Navigation Design Examples
10 Best Dashboard Designs to Watch in 2024
Marketing Executive
Sakshi Agrawal is a digital marketer who excels at data-driven SEO, content marketing & social media engagement to drive growth & enhance brand visibility.
Read MoreAll rights reserved