Pareto Principle
For many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Also known as the 80/20 rule.
When to Use
Focus on high-impact features
Identify and prioritize the 20% of features that will provide 80% of the value to users.
Optimize critical paths
Focus optimization efforts on the most-used features and user flows.
Prioritize user needs
Concentrate design and development efforts on the features that matter most to the majority of users.
When to Avoid
Don't ignore the long tail
While focusing on high-impact features, don't completely neglect the remaining 20% of value that comes from other features.
Origin
The Pareto Principle is named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. The principle has since been applied to many fields, including business, software development, and user experience design, where it suggests that a small number of features or actions often produce the majority of results.