📊Unlocking the Power of Data: Creating a Platform to Make Data Useful for Everyday People
In today's world, data is everywhere. From social media posts to financial reports, we are inundated with information. Many people have the concern and fear of data harvesting. The story often goes like: “I was just talking about a broken blind in the house, next I got an ad selling me blinds on Facebook. Isn’t it spooky!” We certainly do not like our privacy been invaded but the same time we feel helpless to avoid our data being harvested online.
As a problem-solving lover UX person, I feel that instead of fearing it, perhaps we should benefit from it. We can use our data to make informed decisions about our lives in many ways. For examples, Last year I came across a research paper on self-quantification, in which researchers examined the accuracy of self-tracking devices such as Apple Watch and Fitbit, etc, as well as the benefits of a quantified self in personalised healthcare. The result indicated that data generated from self-tracking devices could motivate people exercise, and could aid clinical decision making and researching. This is only one aspect where we could benefit from our data.
What is missing? Companies such as Tableau and GrafanaLabs are sophisticated with data visualisation. However, for most people, this data is overwhelming and difficult to understand, making it hard to use in a meaningful way. Look at the data presented on Apple Health:
What do they mean? Are those numbers good or bad? The data is meaningless if the user does not understand them.
Apple Health
That's where I think a platform that makes data useful for everyday people comes in, where the UX expertise can be used to turn data visualisation into meaningful information for everyone. Here are some of my initial thoughts on how to create such a platform.
Identify the data sources The first step in creating a platform that makes data useful for everyday people is to identify the data sources. This could include social media posts, news articles, weather reports, financial data, and more. Once you have identified the data sources, you can start to collect and organize the data.
Clean and process the data Once you have collected the data, the next step is to clean and process it. This involves removing any duplicate or irrelevant data, and converting it into a format that can be easily analyzed. For example, you might convert financial data into a spreadsheet that can be sorted and filtered.
Visualize the data One of the most effective ways to make data useful for everyday people is to visualize it. This could include creating charts, graphs, and other visual representations of the data. By doing this, you can make it easier for people to understand and analyze the data.
Provide context and analysis In addition to visualizing the data, it's also important to provide context and analysis. This could include providing explanations of key terms and concepts, and highlighting important trends or patterns in the data. By doing this, you can help people make informed decisions based on the data.
Make the platform accessible Finally, it's important to make the platform accessible to everyday people. This could involve designing a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, and providing support and training to help people use the platform effectively. You might also consider making the platform available on multiple devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to make it even more accessible.
In conclusion, creating a platform that makes data useful for everyday people requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. By identifying the data sources, cleaning and processing the data, visualizing the data, providing context and analysis, and making the platform accessible, you can create a powerful tool that helps people make informed decisions based on data.
