UX Collective | Medium
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“Data-driven” is dead
The author, an interaction designer and PM, reflects on the industry's shift towards data-driven design over the past decade. Initially embracing data-driven design as a core tenet, they now believe it is becoming obsolete. This approach, focusing on templates and analytics, has led to replicable tasks that AI can perform. Data-driven design can flatten experiences, leading to sameness, and is often reactive, relying on past data. The author argues that clinging to this process makes designers replaceable, as evidenced by shrinking job roles. However, there are signs of a shift as teams recognize AI's limitations in nuanced judgment calls. Historically, many groundbreaking products stemmed from ambiguous or "irrational" design choices. Examples like the iPod's click wheel, Dyson's transparent vacuum, Snapchat's ephemeral messages, the Sony Walkman, and Absolut Vodka's campaign illustrate the power of intuition and creative ambiguity. While data remains important for functional evolution and understanding user behavior, the author advocates for designers to also confidently embrace feeling, intuition, and creative ambiguity in their positioning.