Data isn’t everything.  There are also humans.

Data is a representation of the behavior and activities of people, places, and things.  It can illustrate what has already occurred.  It can also show you where you’ve been and what you’ve done, but not necessarily tell you where you need to go.

Data-driven design is an expression of, well, data.  Designing a product that is derived solely from data or performs well in Adword searches or trend reports is a good place to start or to check your assumptions.  Data gives you context and should be viewed as a point of departure in any project.  It’s the point where the journey of design and innovation begins.

The role of people–as designers, employees, or customers–in a project is what brings it to life.  Data is a tool that is used to inform the decisions that we make in our work.  It shouldn’t be used without the input of people and their perspectives.

Are you letting data or humans drive your work?