Design Thought Leader

The underlying problem is that design is a holistic discipline while data-analysis, applied dogmatically, is a reductive discipline. When the two coincide, serious friction can ensue. But far from vowing to never interact, these two disciplines need each other tremendously. The designer brings perspective that helps to organize experiential systems at all scales, while quantitative metrics are key for validating decisions. The problems arise when analysis is treated as the primary driver for invention—that’s like setting a measuring tape on a drafting table and expecting it to design spectacular architecture—rest assured, the genius is not in the tape. …

The interplay of all disciplines (engineering, design, research, marketing, sales, QA, product, legal, customer care, etc.) is where the magic happens. Metrics are an absolutely critical interface between disciplines, but when wielded and controlled by only one discipline they can greatly limit the potential of the others.

Tom Chi
Co-Writer and Co-Illustrator, OK/Cancel