009 | Why we rage click and other digital misbehaviour

EDITION 009 | More Room to Think (Archives) | Formentor Labs​
​READ TIME: 1 minute

🗓️ New this week

Maybe it's the weather changing, maybe it's the democratic blue wave, maybe it's the fresh positivity in my week's calls with people.

Three of my good friends have found fulfilling new roles this week despite the headwinds facing workers in this job market.

There's a tone shift this week and I'm trying to stay in it, a little longer.

Make a little room to think Now is a perfect moment to take a breath. 8 seconds in, pause, 8 seconds out.

🔬 This week's topic

Part two: using anomalies to find problems

While my week started to feel uplifting and hopeful, we're somehow talking about a nearly polar-opposite topic this issue;

how to spot frustrated users.

THE PREMISE

Last issue we explored our data-swimming abilities. How backing up ideas with measurable evidence is a compelling way to get buy-in. We covered nine different types of anomalies in data that narrow our focus to the critical issues in our business.

This issue is taking the same evidence-based approach but we're looking past the numbers to the behaviours.

Behaviours don't show up in a monthly KPI dashboard... but believe me they show there's a problem. Watch a session recording of a user rage click a button, whip up a bird nest on a loading screen, or type profanity in the help chatbot.

Poor chatbot.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO GROWING IDEAS

In large organizations focus is critical. Leaders are going to be reluctant to approve our ideas unless they're locked to real, visible and measurable problems.

Behaviours are very convincing - they’re visceral, they’re visual. They add a powerful painful narrative to our business case that no data dashboard can.

When we pair a data anomaly (like a drop in demos booked) with a behaviour anomaly (users struggling with the calendar widget) we've got a strong case to focus on something fixable.

HOW WE CAN USE IT THIS WEEK

Check the guide at the top of this issue.

It's a selection of the most visible user behaviours we can spot through session recordings (think Hotjar, FullStory) or through real-time observation in interviews.

We're looking for patterns but also intensity... the thing about anomalies is that they can be rare and super-sized. Watch for them.

Not every user is going to throw their keyboard across the room, but the ones that do have something they want to tell us.

Once they replace their missing keys.

Pssssst, hey

These are the early editions of Room to Think.
I could use any support to nurture my growing audience:

• Forward this to the author of your favourite marketing newsletter. Collabs are how newsletters grow.
• I'm an active speaker and looking for more speaking stage and guest podcast appearances. A quick intro is more than helpful.

Did you learn something from this newsletter? Did you put it into practice? I'm dying to hear how it went. Please email letstalk@formentor.ca and share your thoughts.