This was presented during Innovation Days at NORC on 2014.02.25 Regardless of whether you call it "business intelligence", "big data", "analytics" or just plain old "math", we have many tried and true techniques for dealing with uncertainty. But ambiguity is a separate matter and, at least in my experience, is the hardest part of creating value from data. During this talk, I will illustrate how the design process can be used to solve ambiguous problems by drawing on projects we've done at Datascope.

1. solve for ambiguity
what the data literate can learn from the design process
@deanmalmgren
@DsAtweet
2014 february
norc

2. data scientists thrive with ambiguity
solve for x
Ax=b
optimize
f(x)
optimize
“our profitability”
project evolution
x=5+2
optimize
Ax=b
subject to
f(x) > 0
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

3. origins of ambiguity
many feasible approaches
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

4. origins of ambiguity
unclear problems
identify the best locations to plant new trees
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

5. origins of ambiguity
unclear problems
identify the best locations to plant new trees
aesthetically pleasing?
maximize growth?
increase foliage?
offset CO2 emissions?
how many?
what kinds of trees?
move old trees?
replace old trees?
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

6. “design process” is used everywhere
anticipate failure
generate
hypotheses
evaluate
feedback
1-4 week
iterations
build
prototype
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

7. “design process” is used everywhere
anticipate failure
human-centered design
lean startup
agile programming
evaluate
feedback
generate
hypotheses
personas, scenarios, use
cases
business/product
requirements
story/user cards
1-4 week
iterations
build
prototype
surveys, interviews, focus groups
split testing, A/B testing
QA; requirements churn
build device prototypes
minimum viable product
write code
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

8. design and data science
challenges in practice
problem lost in translation
generate
hypotheses
takes a long time to
collect data, analyze, and
build visualization
evaluate
feedback
1-4 week
iterations
build
prototype
proof is in the pudding
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

9. a project always starts with…
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

10. a project always starts with…
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

11. a project always starts with…
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

12. a project always starts with…
Kathie was promoted
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

13. informal conversation to stated goals
mostly bad ideas, but a few good ones
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

14. informal conversation to stated goals
mostly bad ideas, but a few good ones
Lorem Ipsum: a narrative about blankets.
Charlie Brown
Date: 31 Jan 2012
!
Author:
Lorem Ipsum is a dummy text used when typesetting or marking up documents. It has a
long history starting from the 1500s and is still used in digital millennium for typesetting
electronic documents, page designs, etc.
!
In itself, the original text of Lorem Ipsum might have been taken from an ancient Latin
book that was written about 50 BC. Nevertheless, Lorem Ipsum’s words have been
changed so they don’t read as a proper text.
!
Naturally, page designs that are made for text documents must contain some text rather
than placeholder dots or something else. However, should they contain proper English
words and sentences almost every reader will deliberately try to interpret it eventually,
missing the design itself.
!
However, a placeholder text must have a natural distribution of letters and punctuation
or otherwise the markup will look strange and unnatural. That’s what Lorem Ipsum helps
to achieve.
!
Peppermint Patty for her support on studying
Lorem Ipsum as well as the infinite wisdom of Linus van Pelt and his
I would like to thank
willingness to use his blanket in my experiments.
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

15. informal conversation to stated goals
mostly bad ideas, but a few good ones
Lorem Ipsum: a narrative about blankets.
Charlie Brown
Date: 31 Jan 2012
!
Author:
Lorem Ipsum is a dummy text used when typesetting or marking up documents. It has a
long history starting from the 1500s and is still used in digital millennium for typesetting
electronic documents, page designs, etc.
!
In itself, the original text of Lorem Ipsum might have been taken from an ancient Latin
book that was written about 50 BC. Nevertheless, Lorem Ipsum’s words have been
changed so they don’t read as a proper text.
!
Naturally, page designs that are made for text documents must contain some text rather
than placeholder dots or something else. However, should they contain proper English
words and sentences almost every reader will deliberately try to interpret it eventually,
missing the design itself.
!
However, a placeholder text must have a natural distribution of letters and punctuation
or otherwise the markup will look strange and unnatural. That’s what Lorem Ipsum helps
to achieve.
!
Peppermint Patty for her support on studying
Lorem Ipsum as well as the infinite wisdom of Linus van Pelt and his
I would like to thank
willingness to use his blanket in my experiments.
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

16. informal conversation to stated goals
mostly bad ideas, but a few good ones
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

17. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

18. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

19. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

20. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

21. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

22. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

23. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

24. concept sketch comparisons
qualitative a/b testing
search engine
with relevance metrics
demographics
human readable
expertise summary
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

25. from sketch to blue print
add detail to get feedback (while building)
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

26. from sketch to blue print
add detail to get feedback (while building)
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

27. from sketch to blue print
add detail to get feedback (while building)
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

28. prototype iterations
faux first; KISS; build for feedback
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

29. prototype iterations
faux first; KISS; build for feedback
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

30. prototype iterations
faux first; KISS; build for feedback
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

31. prototype iterations
faux first; KISS; build for feedback
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

33. tips for designing with data
problem lost in translation
generate
hypotheses
takes a long time to
collect data, analyze, and
build visualization
evaluate
feedback
1-4 week
iterations
build
prototype
proof is in the pudding
@deanmalmgren | bit.ly/design-data

34. solve ambiguous problems
with an iterative approach
http://bit.ly/design-data
!
@deanmalmgren
dean.malmgren@datascopeanalytics.com