An epistomologic framework, this paper
draws from social sciences, media theory, philosophy, business, and the
practice of design to develop a comprehensive knowledge construct deciphering
the role of the designer in an age of Big Data. From this framework, areas of
design research and practice are defined. Practice methods for the designer as
an executive member of the business strategy team are framed in terms of
efficiency and value. The possibilities for implementing crowd-sourced
subjective and multi/ media data, interpreted by the vast numbers of social
media users at a scale even greater than big data, are explored - hivedesign
for big data. It is argued that designers are best qualified to perceive,
interpret and contextualize phenomena such as mass customization, the
quantified-self and wearable interfaces in an effort to achieve an optimized
and rich whole data synthesis. The paper asserts:
• Big Data is quantif iable but ultimately without much meaning. • Sof t Data, four times as big as Big Data, requires
human minds to interpret.
• Data without Design is insuf
f icient to make rich decisions
• Whole Data Research integrates structured and non/
structured data and is the ideal information construct to generate the most
valuable knowledge
• Social Media Ontology describes identity and existence as mediated through the
agency of social media interfaces, presence and status
• Interfacing and the Data-f
ied Self is the phenomena of self-monitoring and engaging in biological/technical
interfacing through wearable technology
• Mass Customization and Device Topology describes creating value and longevity for
the platform and tools by empowering individuals to personalize the performance
of his/her device.
Design and semantics of form and movement DeSForM 2013
