An impact–effort matrix is a 2D-visual that plots relative user value against implementation complexity. Variations of this matrix are used across various product-development approaches, including Six Sigma, design thinking, and Agile.

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An impact–effort matrix assigns items to one of four quadrants: quick wins, big bets, fill-ins, and money pits.

The resulting matrix captures the relative effort necessary to implement candidate features and their impact on the users. It can be subdivided into four quadrants:

  1. Quick wins include low-effort, high-impact items that are worth pursuing.
  2. Big bets include high-effort, high-value items; they should be carefully planned and prototyped, and, if executed, are likely to be differentiators against competitors.
  3. Money pit includes low-impact, high-effort items that are not worth the business investment; there are better places to spend time and resources.
  4. Fill-ins comprise low-effort, low-impact items that may be easy to implement but may not be worth the effort as their value is minimal.

Key takeaways

✦ The "Effort and Impact" approach to prioritization in UX design helps designers balance the resources and constraints of the design project with the needs and goals of the users and stakeholders.

✦ Designers should use a prioritization matrix to plot each design requirement or feature based on the effort required and the impact on the user experience.

✦ Trade-offs may need to be made when prioritizing design requirements or features based on the resources and constraints of the project.

✦ Prioritization is an ongoing process that should be revisited and updated throughout the design process to ensure that the design meets the needs and goals of the users and stakeholders.

✦ Effective communication and collaboration with stakeholders are essential during the prioritization phase to ensure that all parties are aligned on the project goals and priorities.

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