I’ve written before about how the deliverable isn’t the work (although it is work) – getting to understanding is the work. So context is essential as we work through analysis.

So, uh. How do we do that?

For me getting there starts with inputs. What are all the things we need to take into account? Stakeholder thoughts, goals, feelings… sure. Our own lived experiences and professional experiences. Research on customers. Capabilities of the team we’re working with. The broader market and economy and trends. Analytics on site flows, click paths, and performance. Known, existing research on interactions and designs and flows and behaviors. We need to pull all of this together, as a team. That's a first step.

Critically, it is not the last step.

For example, “80% of people from March through May dropped off on this page” is not information – it is data. What makes this interesting? Is this number good? Is it bad? Who the hell knows? Sharing this directly, as is, in any kind of a final context is – from my perspective – incomplete. It is the job of the team to not only absorb this type of input but, critically, state what it means and provide enough detail for someone to take action on it.

That’s where the analysis comes in – inputs and context are essential to doing quality work. Chasing down “why” is foundational to understanding, and when conducting analysis, it’s something I implore my colleagues and teams to do.

In brief, I view analysis as taking data and turning it into usable information.