A category becomes useful through a goal
Illustrative examples of the Goals–Signals–Metrics process
GOAL
SIGNAL
POSSIBLE METRIC
Happiness
Users feel confident.
They report confidence after the task.
Share choosing a positive survey response.
Retention
Users keep returning.
They return in a defined later window.
Returning eligible users ÷ eligible cohort.
Task success
Users finish the task.
They reach completion without assistance.
Successful attempts ÷ all eligible attempts.
These are examples from three HEART categories. Choose goals first; define instruments and denominators next.
Conceptual illustration • not measured data