Data-Driven Design Reviews

Over the summer months, I followed the Data-Driven Design course from Designlab to better understand how and when data can be integrated into my design processes. The course is built up into 6 units spread across 6 weeks. That can be demanding when you combine it with a full-time work schedule but the estimated hours per unit are accurate and the sessions can be planned when they suit you best. I found the material interesting and diverse, it was not groundbreaking but the basics were well explained, the exercises were challenging and educational, and the peer sessions helped answer the remaining questions. They were also ideal moments to work on presentation skills (with data and in general) with people from the same field. These sessions were also well hosted by a capable mentor. The mentorship stood out for me and was a big difference from previous courses I've taken.

The Data-Driven Design course is a great way to get started in getting more of a data based mindset when designing. The course introduced some great frameworks for working with data that i can definitely use at my work.I did miss getting into some data tools to use and some deeper feedback on the course work. But overall i felt it was a great introduction to the field and i am sure it will help me having a more data focused mindset.

I knew that the course would entail a lot of math, I anticipated struggling with it since it was all new to me. However, it turned out to be less challenging than I expected. I foremost needed a basis and a framework to work from. And this course did just that. After completing the course, I feel more versatile as a designer. Just like I have another card up my sleeve. It was a confidence booster for sure!