A UX Method: The 2×2 Matrix
WHAT IS A 2X2 MATRIX?
A 2×2 matrix diagram is a simple square divided into four equal quadrants. Each axis represents a decision criterion, such as value or effort. Each axis is then further divided into two sections, such as low value/high value and easy/difficult. When the matrix is drawn out, you can write down ideas on different sections of the matrix. This is beneficial because it allows you to visualize the different options available.
If you have low effort to do something that you don’t value as much, you would tell yourself to do it later, However, if you look at the extreme opposite, you would do something next if you have high effort to do something that you value highly. The matrix allows you to plot out these decisions and visualize them to understand them better.
2X2 MATRIX IN DESIGN
So how does this relate to user experience (UX) design? Allowing yourself and your team to visualize your decisions based on the axes you choose can be very beneficial. You can facilitate important discussions between you and your team members. The process of creating a prioritization matrix brings together this collaborative group in order to make an informed decision. Regardless of the outcome, the exercise promotes productive, structured conversation: the options at hand are weighed against the criteria important to the business.
Another collaborative benefit is that you can create a shared mental model. Although the process itself is the primary purpose, the artifact and end product that comes out of it are just as beneficial. The chart is a shared visual representation of collaborative thinking and ideas, rather than the opinions of a single individual. Having this matrix allows anyone who may not have been a part of the thinking process to glance at the wall and understand what the team came up with and agreed upon.
EISENHOWER MATRIX
Eisenhower, the former president of the United States, was also faced with just constant decisions throughout his military career and also during his career as president. He had this saying “We often confuse the urgent with the important, the important with the urgent.” He developed a decision-making matrix to help him prioritize what he should focus on. He defined his axis categories with importance & urgency and compared them against each other to make his decisions.
STEVE JOBS CASE STUDY
Another person who used the 2×2 matrix on a normal basis was Steve Jobs. He used the matrix at a Macworld Expo. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 and reviewed 15 product platforms with many variants of each one, he created the four-quadrant product grid. He used the 2×2 matrix method by dropping the existing product lines into four quadrants that helped the company to simplify Apple’s product lines. This allowed Apple to produce the best product in each quadrant of the matrix.
He also uses the matrix method to determine how to distribute his resources and where to focus on the design of his application. Basically, the features that one designs into an app have to meet the user’s needs. They are affected by several factors such as frequency of use, importance to the user, application goals completion, etc. Using a matrix allowed Steve Jobs to determine which ones were the most important and how he could keep the user in mind while keeping functionality in mind.
CONCLUSION
The 2×2 matrix is really important in the UX world in that it helps make design decisions easily by using a visual focus. When making these decisions, it’s necessary to have all the information and plot it out in a way where you can see it all.