Actionable Data
Where Design and Data Science Converge
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First, be warned. What I am about to share is vague and nebulous.
It is also extremely powerful.
Actionable data is tech-stack agnostic. It can be applied using any of multiple tool sets. It is a paradigm — which is to say, a way of thinking. It grows from the well-known discipline of design thinking, applying the first two steps: empathy and problem definition. From there it zeroes in on a particular solution set: designing a data narrative that applies data science principles in the context of dynamic, interactive user experience.
Most of us in 2020 are overwhelmed and inundated by information. We feel powerless and enfeebled by all the bad news. Actionable data emphasizes the power of informed collective action.
What actionable data does is take a measurable, quantifiable data set and connect it to specific calls to action. In essence, it presents you with new information and instead of leaving you to mull (or stew) it provides you with ways to respond. The goal is always to empower users.
In my online talk for Innovation Women, I discuss one case study in depth: The Giving Map, built as a COVID-19 relief tool.
Created in partnership with Charity Navigator, this interactive map is updated daily with the most recent data on COVID-19 infection rates across the United States. Users can click on counties and view case data, while making a donation to charity in any of ten giving categories. The tagline “Give in the areas hardest hit” led to a remarkable response. One out of 15 people who saw our posts on social media visited our site. This was with zero name recognition or major media coverage. If you know anything about Internet marketing, you know how unusual those numbers are.
User survey findings suggest that even when users chose not to give through the app, the availability of options contributed to a richer and more meaningful user experience.
