80 / 20 Rule and Interaction Design
The 80 / 20 rule states that 80% of the effects in any large system is caused by 20% of the variables in that system. What this essentially implies is that, the 20% is what causes the 80%. Look at 80 as the effect produced and the 20 as the cause of the effect.
Here are some examples:
· 20% of the book caused 80% of the anticipation
· 80% of the time is spent on 20% of the apps
· 80% of users rely on 20% of the features of an app
The famous 80 / 20 principle was originally observed by an Italian economist, Vilfred Pareto who saw that 80% of Italy’s lands were owned by 20% of the population. Later on, Management consultant Joseph M Juran also noticed the same in a business context and named the principle after Pareto.
Some important things to note while understanding this principle:
1. It can be used in any context / space to understand cause and effect
2. The 80 and 20 are not fixed numbers of statistics, it is merely an indication of the cause percentage being significantly smaller than the effect percentage (could also be used as 90 / 20, 70/ 50)
3. The principle is also known as Pareto’s Principle, The vital few and trivial many, Juran’s Principle.
4. The sum of the numbers need not add up to 100 (90/ 15)
5. It is a helpful analysis tool
How can we apply 80 / 20 Rule with respect to IXD?
Now that I have set the basics right, the question is how can the principle be used in context to Interaction Design in particular? Here are some examples that I came up with to appreciate it in context of interaction design:
1. Tabbed Menus
// 20% of the functions that use up 80% of the user’s time //
Tabbed menus, (bottom and top nav bars) are the most sought-after options is most applications today. These menus showcase the top 3–5 functions (20%) of the application which takes up 80% of the user’s time on the application. This not only increases the usability and speed of carrying out specific tasks but also gives users direct access to what they want out of the application. We could look at this evolution of reaching tabbed menu’s in terms of the 80/20 rule. User’s used to follow a linear line to reach a page to complete tasks where they spent the maximum amount of time. Analyzing this data over the years could have led up to an idea to reduce time and increase efficiency of the app.
2. Analysis (User Research)
// 20% of the functions that are used by 80% of the users //
Analysis of a website using various tools like heuristics, heat maps will produce results that can help organise the top features of the page. Focusing on these vital few features and redesigning the website can result in better conversion rates, usability and an increase in number of satisfied users. This analysis is also an iterative process. It goes on and on like an update to keep your site in sync with the latest trends and user feedback. Inversely, the process could also be done before building your websites. What is known as “top requirements” of the page can be better arrived at by understanding the most important aspects of the website and what the users want.
3. Default Options
// 20% of the options that are used by 80% of the time //
User’s choice of options is consistent with app features over time. Using these actions to optimize areas of the website / app can save time & effort of the user. It also makes the user feel valued. For example, take our popular food delivery app Swiggy. Once you make your food choices and select your location of delivery, the app prompts you to save the address as home, work or other. The same is true for applications like Uber and Ola as well. I think these enhancements are a result of careful evaluation of the top options that users selected the most. (like setting the location while ordering all the time)
4. Layout and Content
// 20% of the most important content laid out that are relevant for 80% of the users //
When designing a platform for any function, picking the right content that speaks to the myriad of users that will land on the platform becomes essential. Users come to the platform with certain expectations and looking for certain cues. Although content, in the grand scheme of things might seem to occupy less space, its relevance is going to cause a high impact. Here, the principle works like a directional tool. It gives the content creators an objective to work towards and lay outing the platform to highlight the content and cues.
5. Choosing the right problem
// 20% of the most crucial problems which when solved produces 80% impact //
Picking the right problems to solve, whether w.r.t to choosing a problem statement or choosing a problem to solve for a solution that has already been deployed creates a lot of impact. As designers, it is our duty to pick up those problems that might involve a painful path but in the end creates the most impact.
