Data as a Design Material

Rethinking Data

We often think of data as something that exists outside of design—a technical concern handled by engineers and data scientists. But what if we treated data as a design material, with the same intentionality we bring to color, typography, and space?

Data Has Qualities

Just like any design material, data has inherent qualities:

• Texture — Is it dense or sparse? Clean or noisy?
• Weight — Some data points carry more significance than others
• Flow — Data moves through systems in patterns and rhythms
• Context — Data doesn't exist in isolation; it has relationships and dependencies

Designing with Data

Fidelity and Precision

Not all data needs to be displayed with the same level of precision. Sometimes, showing exactly "4,247,892 users" is less helpful than showing "~4.2M users."

Consider:

• What level of detail does the user actually need?
• Does precision add clarity or clutter?
• How does the context inform the appropriate fidelity?

The Shape of Information

Data visualization isn't just about making data pretty—it's about finding the right shape for information to reveal insights.

// Example: Choosing the right visualization
const userGrowth = {
  trend: 'line chart',     // Shows change over time
  distribution: 'histogram', // Shows spread
  comparison: 'bar chart',  // Shows relative values
  relationship: 'scatter',  // Shows correlation
}

Beyond Visualization

Treating data as a design material goes beyond visualization. It's about:

1. Data architecture — How is data structured and related?
2. Data flow — How does data move through the system?
3. Data quality — What standards do we maintain?
4. Data ethics — How do we handle data responsibly?

Conclusion

When we treat data as a design material, we open up new possibilities for creating more meaningful, insightful, and responsible products. The question isn't whether to consider data in our design process—it's how deeply we're willing to engage with it.