Inspired by Data Driven Design

The title was inspired by a few different things.

• The ever-present data-driven businesses.
• The hackathon / design jam work that I've been involved in.
• The work that I have been doing in DevOps over the years.
• The growth in work in AI/ML as well as Data Visualisation.

There have been other articles around this title "Data Driven Design" so it's not new. And "Design Thinking" itself is not new either.

However, I don't see much tangible evidence of a few things:

1. Where is data been used as part of the design process?
2. How does the prototype creates data that supports the process?
3. What analysis can be achieved to underpin the decisions?

And from that this loop of design, execution, analysis underpinned by data.

The Design Thinking (as depicted) focuses on the problem and solution. However, in the way we need to explore the problem, we also need to capture data. The phrase "go out there and talk to real customers" is true. Typically we ask them, we show them low fidelity prototypes however what it lacks is the moment in time feeling of that problem. There are still assumptions because we are not in that moment. What you think you feel is different from what you feel at that point in time. Here, we are looking to design solutions that do two things - give us a glimpse what a solution may be but also collect data from that experience.

The Lean Startup (as shown) is more about the specific iteration. What can we build to demonstrate or validation our assumptions. The whole #ReadyFireAim approach focuses on what are these decision that we need to consider. Execute the iteration / sprint to know whether this is something that we need to continue building. It is this question that the solution built helps with the answer. By collecting this data through the application, it helps understand what has been designed.

The last part of this loop is the Data Science. How can start analysing the data to a) understand more about our users and the outcomes being achieved. And also whether some of the assumptions or questions we asked ourselves as part of the Design Thinking process, whether any of that was true. And if its not, I'm glad we found it then. If it is, then we can build upon it. The data can then help us make a more informed design in the next loop.

With much of what I've been doing for the past few years, this loop is very achievable. The ability to create functional solutions means that it is doable and feasible. All you need now is a problem to explore.