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AI Product Tools / MIF Explorer / Library / UX
Truth Layer
DirectionalVanity RiskAI-Sensitive Truth Layer
The Truth Layer is the badge system that tells you how trustworthy, directional, or risky a measure is.
Why it matters: It helps teams separate meaningful signals from vanity, misuse, or AI distortion before they optimize the wrong thing.
Example: A metric can be Meaningful, Leading, or Vanity Risk.
Average Session Duration
The average time users spend in a single session.
Evaluation method
sum(session_durations) / total_sessions
Signal type
coincident
What it is best for
Content and media products where longer time indicates consumption
What it tells you +
How much time users invest per visit. Can indicate engagement depth for some product types.
What it does not tell you +
Tell you whether time spent was productive, enjoyable, or wasted on confusion.
When to use it +
- Content and media products where longer time indicates consumption
- Tracking session depth trends over time for the same product
When not to use it +
- For task-oriented products where shorter sessions are better
- As a primary engagement metric without context about what users did during the session
How leaders misuse it +
- Celebrating longer sessions in a task-oriented product — users may be lost
- Comparing session duration across fundamentally different product types
- Using average instead of median, letting outlier sessions distort the picture
Anti-patterns +
- Adding unnecessary steps or delays to extend session time
- Counting inactive tabs as active sessions
AI interpretation risks +
Scenario: AI chatbot or assistant keeps users engaged in conversation
What happens: Session duration increases significantly
What it really means: Users may be spending time talking to the AI rather than accomplishing goals. Longer sessions may reflect dependency or confusion, not productive engagement.
Recommendation: Segment sessions by whether AI was used. Compare task completion rates between AI-heavy and AI-light sessions.
Companion entries +
This entry is stronger when paired with:
Conflicts and tension points +
Optimizing this entry alongside the following may create tension:
Instrumentation or evaluation guidance +
Cap session length at a reasonable maximum (30-60 minutes) to exclude forgotten tabs. Use median for accuracy.
Sample events
session_start, session_end Examples +
A documentation site sees average session duration rise from 3 to 8 minutes after a reorganization. User feedback confirms longer sessions reflect deeper reading, not navigation confusion.
Suggested decisions +
- Rising session duration: check if users are engaging deeper or getting stuck
- Falling session duration: check if efficiency improved or value decreased