Using Feedback Loops in Mobile App Design

User research is great, but what if you do not have the time or budget for it........ In an ideal world, you would test and validate every design decision. But, that is not always the reality. Sometimes you do not have the time, access, or budget to run full research studies. So how do you bridge the gap between guessing and making informed decisions? These are some of my favorites: 1️⃣ Analyze drop-off points: Where users abandon a flow tells you a lot. Are they getting stuck on an input field? Hesitating at the payment step? Running into bugs? These patterns reveal key problem areas. 2️⃣ Identify high-friction areas: Where users spend the most time can be good or bad. If a simple action is taking too long, that might signal confusion or inefficiency in the flow. 3️⃣ Watch real user behavior: Tools like Hotjar | by Contentsquare or PostHog let you record user sessions and see how people actually interact with your product. This exposes where users struggle in real time. 4️⃣ Talk to customer support: They hear customer frustrations daily. What are the most common complaints? What issues keep coming up? This feedback is gold for improving UX. 5️⃣ Leverage account managers: They are constantly talking to customers and solving their pain points, often without looping in the product team. Ask them what they are hearing. They will gladly share everything. 6️⃣ Use survey data: A simple Google Forms, Typeform, or Tally survey can collect direct feedback on user experience and pain points. 6️⃣ Reference industry leaders: Look at existing apps or products with similar features to what you are designing. Use them as inspiration to simplify your design decisions. Many foundational patterns have already been solved, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. I have used all of these methods throughout my career, but the trick is knowing when to use each one and when to push for proper user research. This comes with time. That said, not every feature or flow needs research. Some areas of a product are so well understood that testing does not add much value. What unconventional methods have you used to gather user feedback outside of traditional testing? _______ 👋🏻 I’m Wyatt—designer turned founder, building in public & sharing what I learn. Follow for more content like this!

Design decisions need consistency and repetition to build momentum. Over two decades of leading design projects have taught me many lessons. One powerful one is creating momentum. We learned that making design decisions doesn’t happen just during a critique or review session. The groundwork starts before presenting ideas, and the effort to make them stick happens afterward. Coupled with iterative design and continuous research, this three-step process will create momentum in your design decisions: 1️⃣ Tell me This step is all about clear communication. It's the initial stage where we explain the design decisions that must be made to the team. This ensures that everyone understands what to expect and what choices are ahead. We remove the ambiguity from the design process by providing details about when this will happen and what choices will be made. 2️⃣ Show me This step focuses on exploration, validation, and refinement. Designs are shared with an audience (users, stakeholders, or a larger group) to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments. This iterative feedback loop helps solidify the decision with the team and align it with user needs and expectations. 3️⃣ Tell me what you showed me In this step, the team consolidates the decision by reflecting on the feedback gathered. The design decisions should articulate the synthesized direction. This ensures the team's final design decision is well-informed and agreed upon, leading to more robust and accepted design outcomes. This weekly cycle and user feedback from Helio audiences enable us to create momentum with each team design decision. #productdesign #productdiscovery #userresearch #uxresearch

Still stuck in endless design feedback loops? Try this instead. ⇣ Most teams debate. But the ones who move fast? They test and decide. You're not just wasting time. You're delaying progress, clarity, and results. Here’s the system that speeds up decision-making: ☑️ 1. Gather Feedback First ↳ Don’t design in a vacuum ↳ Listen to every stakeholder's input ↳ Avoid assumptions early on ☑️ 2. Turn Ideas into Options ↳ Create 5 variations fast ↳ Label each version by the person’s input ↳ Let ideas compete side-by-side ☑️ 3. Choose as a Team ↳ Review all screens together ↳ Keep it visual, not verbal ↳ Vote and move forward—quickly ☑️ 4. Cut the Endless Loops ↳ No back-and-forth on one idea ↳ No ego wars over layout tweaks ↳ One round, one decision, one direction ☑️ 5. Build, Test, Improve ↳ Get it live ↳ Measure what matters ↳ Then refine, don’t restart You don’t need more meetings. You need a process that respects everyone and keeps momentum. Ready to speed up your design process and cut through the noise? Follow me, Subash Chandra, for more insights on creating growth-focused, user-centric digital solutions through UI and UX design. Let’s build better experiences together! 🔄 Repost to share this with your team and network!