许多公司一直相信大量囤积数据的好处，现在他们正在寻找能利用这些数据造福顾客的方法。大数据给各行各业的企业提供了一个变得更加透明、更值得信任，并在竞争中脱颖而出的机会，而且能让他们的用户在产品和服务上获得更加个性化的体验。

    大量的数据造成了巨大的复杂性，而设计的力量可以化繁为简，让这些数据能被普通人理解，因此设计在大数据上就有了用武之地。它的作用就是把信息变成人们可以使用的、有意义的观点，赋予冷冰冰的数据以生动的含义，同时把数据与我们居住的这个纷繁复杂的世界联系起来。那么企业应该如何更好地利用设计，使人们从“怕数据”变成“爱数据”呢？

    我们开始发现，在智能手机和其它联网设备的影响下，消费者的行为和预期正在发生变化。这些设备带来了海量的数据点，揭示出人们在任何特定时刻需要哪些信息，以及他们希望从哪里获得信息。消费者们已经意识到他们的数据是有价值的，因此他们可以期望、甚至是要求对方用某种价值来交换他们的数据。数据已经成了一种新的货币，企业也要从这个角度来看待数据。人们愿意拱手送上的信息越多，企业利用这些信息为消费者量身打造某种体验的潜力就越大。但是人们对于隐私问题的担忧却让这个过程变成了一个复杂的挑战。

    对于许多企业来说，如何让用户觉得自己在用一种很“酷”的方式使用他们的数据，而不是以一种鬼鬼祟祟、令人不自在的方法使用他们的数据，这是一个很难把握的平衡。设计师解决这个挑战的方法是建立一套貌似能神奇地对某个用户的习惯做出回应的系统。视频网站Netflix就是一个很好的例子。Netflix通过谨慎地利用用户的浏览数据，来向用户推荐他们可能喜欢的其它视频，让用户觉得这些视频都是为自己量身推荐的。移动社交网站Foursquare则已经转型成了一个推荐引擎，会根据用户的地理位置和一天中不同的时间，向用户推荐有用的信息和当地的优惠服务。只要企业把用户的数据当成一项服务来妥善使用，随着用户提供的信息越多，他们的体验就会越好，从而逐渐打消消费者对于企业可能泄露用户个人信息的疑虑。

    Companies that have long believed in the virtues of hoarding data are now looking for ways to use it to the benefit of their customers. Big data presents a massive opportunity for organizations across industries to become more transparent and trustworthy, get a leg up on the competition, and empower their users to have more personalized experiences with their products and services.

    But with great volumes of data comes great amounts of complexity. That's where design's power to simplify and make sense of data for ordinary individuals comes in. It's about turning information into meaningful insights people can use, giving data a human shape and a connection with the messy real world that we live in. So how can companies better use design to turn data dread into data delight?

    We're just beginning to see the extent to which smartphones and other connected objects are influencing a shift in consumer behavior and expectations. These devices are giving rise to a huge range of data points around what information people want at any given time and who they want it from. Consumers have now figured out that they can expect -- indeed demand -- value in exchange for "their" data. It's the new currency, and companies need to start treating it as such. The more information people are willing to give up, the more potential a company has to personalize an experience for them. But privacy concerns make this a complicated challenge.

    For many companies, getting the balance right between using data in ways that are cool rather than creepy can be difficult. Designers approach this challenge by creating intelligent systems that seem to magically respond to a user's habits. Netflix (NFLX) is a good example of this, carefully using viewing data to present recommendations that feel tailor-made. Foursquare has transformed itself into a recommendation engine, providing helpful information and local offers to users customized to their location and time of day. This savvy use of data as a service will likely reduce consumers' skepticism and fears around sharing personal information as the more they provide, the better their experience is.

    数据不会为了你而自动创新。数据可以展现某些模式，帮助我们预测结果，也可以帮助我们验证理论。但是当研发某些全新事物时，光靠数据无法催生出下一代的“杀手级”产品。如果美剧《双峰镇》（Twin Peaks）的编剧或加拿大太阳马戏团（Cirque de Soleil）的老板当初只在数据的预测范围内考虑问题的话，那么观众的欣赏偏好数据可能会显示《双峰镇》的品味太古怪了，另外的数据则会显示，在日益低迷的马戏市场上开办一家新的马戏团是件多么疯狂的事。

    对于从事“创新”业务的企业来说，好的设计是成功的关键因素之一。设计师可以帮助企业设想它们的业务定位，或者对现有的业务进行重新设想。创意是发明创造的关键，而对于创造性的突破来说，数据仍然非常重要——尤其是当它和人类独有的想象力和直觉结合在一起的时候。

    大企业传统上喜欢让咨询顾问来告诉他们如何利用数据来为企业服务，以提高公司业务的效率，同时更好地进行实时决策。而技术人员则喜欢以灵活的方式构建数据。它们会对数据进行分析组合和交叉引用，以使它更加高效和智能。

    Data will not innovate on your behalf. Data can show patterns and help predict outcomes, and it can also help validate theories. But when working on something entirely new, data alone is unlikely to lead to the next killer product. As some others have observed, the world would not have experienced Twin Peaks or Cirque de Soleil if the creators had worked within the boundaries of data-validated predictability. The audience preference data would have shown that Twin Peaks is too weird, and data would also have shown that it would be crazy to start a new venture in the declining circus market.

    For companies in the business of "new," good design is a key ingredient. Designers can help organizations imagine where their business could be or reimagine an existing business. Creativity is a crucial component of invention. For creative breakthroughs, data can still be very powerful -- if it's coupled up with the uniquely human traits of imagination and intuition.

    Traditionally, large organizations tend to work with business consultants to help them understand how to use data to their benefit -- to become more efficient and to make better real-time decisions. Technologists on the other hand, tend to try to structure data in a flexible way. They analyze it, dashboard it, and cross-reference it to make it more efficient and intelligent.

    设计师则喜欢从一个全然不同的角度利用数据。他们会直观地思考对于终端用户和活生生的人来说，怎样才能从数据中获益。设计师有一个根深蒂固的想法，就是关注怎样把事情简单化，唯一的目的是取悦终端用户，不管这些用户是企业用户还是普通消费者。设计师们知道如何把复杂、分散的数据变得形象化，变得易于理解，更重要的是变得更加人性化。在如何让数据适应我们纷繁复杂的生活和现实世界的问题上，设计可以扮演一个关键的角色。我们生活的方方面面都需要依赖于种种数据服务，而设计师可以给这些服务带来故事情节和人情味。

    对于屏幕上的体验来说，尤其是对于移动设备的屏幕体验，简洁已经成了一个口号。如果一家公司希望用更智能的方式来利用数据造福用户，服务的设计可以给他们最重要的服务带来简洁的特性。下面几个例子就说明了以设计为导向的数据使用可以产生的力量。

    The designer tends to approach data from a completely different angle. They will intuitively think about the end user and how real people can benefit from the data. Designers have it ingrained to focus on simplicity and bring a singular focus to delighting the end user -- regardless of whether they are a business user or consumer. Designers know how to take complex or disparate information and make it tangible, understandable, and importantly, more human. Design can play a key role to make digital data adapt to our messy lives and the real world. Designers can bring stories and humanity back into the digital services we increasingly rely on for all aspects of our lives.

    For onscreen experiences, simplicity has become a watchword, especially for mobile devices. Service design can bring simplicity to the forefront for a company wanting to use data in smarter ways to benefit the user. Here are a few examples that illustrate the power of a design-led approach to data:

    瑞典有一家名叫“3”的移动运营商，它把话费账单从每月一次的恼人服务变成了一项有用的服务。它推出的“My 3”手机应用可以使用户实时看到自己的使用数据，让他们知道自己的话费和流量还剩多少。如果用户的剩余通话时间不多了，他们也可以通过这款应用获得更多的信用，到了月底的时候，用户就不会对着高额的话费账单大吃一惊了。用户也可以通过这款应用直接拨打客服电话，同时它会告诉你，要等多长时间才能拨通某位客服人员的电话。这款小小的应用重塑了电话账单给用户的体验，使它从一种静态的、单向的告知方式变成一项个性化的服务，不仅可以根据用户的行为做出调整，还允许用户即时采取行动。

    这是一个很好的例子，它把世界上的一种最呆板、也可能是最令顾客厌烦的数据变成了另一番模样。而且令人吃惊的是，用户非常喜欢这项服务，作为一项电话账单应用，用户居然在应用商店中给它打了平均4.5星的高分。

    “3”的故事也告诉我们，一家企业在灵感的驱使下可以实现怎样的华丽转身。在和其它运营商竞争的过程中，“3”在使用用户数据上另辟蹊径并取得了成功。

    谷歌（Google）的Google age服务改变了医生与患者间的交流方式，现在我们看到，医疗专业人士已经开始主动拥抱信息和数据革命。他们已经开始采取一种前瞻性的姿态，采用那些能够促进医患关系的数据解决方案。

    SMART是哈佛医学院（Harvard Medical School）和波士顿儿童医院（Boston Children's Hospital）联合发起的一个项目，目的是重新设计小儿生长曲线。小儿生长曲线几乎会用到儿童的每次就诊中。不过很多父母对这个曲线反映的信息都不甚了解。在某些情况下，这种情况可能导致这个曲线的数据遭到错误解读，从而导致灾难性的后果。SMART采取了以设计为导向的方法，建立了一个全新的小儿生长曲线应用，不仅易读易懂，还可以在医生和患儿父母之进行分享。这款应用从两个角度展示了患儿的数据，一种是从医生的角度，一种是从父母的角度。后者使用的是简化版本的数据，医生可以更好地向患儿父母解释生长曲线所反映的情况以及各种比例数值的意义。它没有采用复杂的数值，而是用简明的图像来呈现儿童的发育情况，确保医生和父母都能了解孩子的情况。

    类似SMART和My 3这样的项目近来呈明显增加之势，它们的核心挑战就是如何让普通人了解各种数据的含义。显然许多企业也会面临类似的问题。设计可以通过以下方法帮助企业解释各种数据的含义，找到用数据为顾客造福的机会。

    • 用数据做指引，而不是做决定：用数据创造一个便于理解和学习的条件，但不要让数据的重要性超过创意和灵感，也不要忽视信心的重要性。

    • 关心客户：把数据的洞察力和价值从你的企业扩展到你的客户身上。

    • 打乱数据，推倒重来：我们住在一个混乱的世界。如果你的数据很纯粹，如何适应这个混乱的世界？利用设计把数据变得个性化、情绪化，多讲故事。

    3, a mobile operator based in Sweden, redefines the phone bill, transforming it from a monthly annoyance to a helpful service. "My 3" is an app that lets customers see their usage data in real time so they know exactly where they are compared to their plan. If they are running low on minutes, they can get more credit from within the app so at the end of the month there's no bill shock moment. Customers can also make a call to customer service right from the app where the helpful information continues by telling you how long you'll have to wait to speak with someone. This tiny app is rethinking the experience of the phone bill, taking it from a static, one-way piece of communication to a personalized service that adjusts to a customer's behavior and allows them to take action immediately.

    It's a wonderful example of taking information that can be classified as amongst the dullest on the planet and potentially one of the most aggravating for customers -- and turning it on its head. Amazingly, customers love the service so much that they are taking the time to review it in the app store with an average of 4.5 stars, for a phone bill app.

    3's story also shows us what a company can accomplish when they take an inspired leap of faith. Breaking with their competition in the operator space, 3 chose to take a new direction with customer data.

    The Google (GOOG) age has changed the conversation between patient and doctor, and we're now seeing a movement by health care professionals to embrace the information and data revolution. They are starting to take a proactive stance to implementing digital solutions that use data to facilitate the relationship between patients and clinicians.

    SMART, an initiative from Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, is an effort to redesign the pediatric growth chart. The pediatric growth chart is the ever-present tool in nearly every pediatric appointment, and yet for many parents the information presented is unclear. In some cases, this can lead to misinterpreted data, which can result in fatal consequences. SMART took a design-led approach to creating an interactive pediatric growth chart app that can be easily read, understood, and shared between doctors and parents. The app showcases patient's data in two different ways: customizing a view for clinicians and one for parents. The parental view allows doctors to better explain the growth charts and percentiles to parents using a simplified representation of the data that can be immediately understood. Instead of complex percentiles, the visuals give a snapshot that showcases a child's development, making sure that both clinicians and parents are on the same page.

    A major increase in projects like SMART and My 3 in which the central challenge is about finding ways to bring meaning to data for the average person. It's clear that many organizations will be facing the same issues. Here are some ways that design can help companies make sense of their data and identify opportunities to turn it into a benefit for their customers:

    • Use data to guide, not dictate: Use data to build a backdrop of understanding and learning, but don't let data trump creative inspiration or minimize the importance of leaps of faith.

    • Obsess with your customers: Extend the data insights and value from your organization to your customers.

    • Mess up your data: We live in a messy world. How can you make your pure data fit a messy world? Use design to make it personal and emotional, and tell stories.

    • 不要光理解数据，更重要的是要理解人。你是不是正在考虑再招聘一个数据分析师来解释你现有的海量数据呢？其实，为何不招一个心理学家呢？

    • 学会典雅和简洁。数据科学可能是复杂的、抽象的甚至是丑陋的。设计可以给你带来简明和清晰。优秀的设计也可以帮你以美丽典雅的方式展示数据，把那些觉得数据枯燥无味的人吸引回来。

    • 迈出创造性的“自信一跃”。一个融合了直觉和想象的创造性过程可以带来光靠数据无法完成的创新。如果你想重塑业务或发明什么新东西，这一点更是至关重要。（财富中文网）

    • Instead of understanding data only, make sure you understand people: You're planning to hire another data scientist to make sense of the growing data mountain you've got? How about hiring a psychologist instead?

    • Major on elegance and simplicity: The science of data can be complex, abstract, and ugly. Design will help you simplify and bring clarity. Good design can also present data in elegant and beautiful ways, drawing people in where they were previously turned off.

    • Take creative leaps of faith: A creative process that uses intuition and imagination can give you innovations that data alone can't provide. This is crucial if you want to reimagine your business or invent something new.

    本文作者奥洛夫在2001年参与创办了Fjord公司。现在这家公司已经成为全球最成功的服务设计咨询公司之一，客户包括BBC、花旗银行、ESPN、Flickr、Foursquare、哈佛医学院、诺基亚、高通等知名企业。奥洛夫有多年的与大品牌的合作经验，他为这些企业设计的突破性用户体验使复杂的系统变得简明典雅。他经常在全球性会议和活动上演讲，最近出席了《财富》2012年科技头脑风暴大会、GigaOm移动化大会以及投资银行Rutberg举办的“未来：移动”大会等。

    译者：朴成奎

    Olof ( @olof_s) co-founded Fjord in 2001, and has since led the company to become one of the world's most successful service design consultancies working with clients including the BBC, Citibank, ESPN, Flickr, Foursquare, Harvard Medical School, Nokia, and Qualcomm, among others. Olof has years of experience collaborating with major brands to design breakthrough experiences that make complex systems simple and elegant. A frequent speaker at global conferences and events, recent appearances include Fortune 2012 Brainstorm Tech, GigaOm Mobilize, and Rutberg Future: Mobile.