Why All Companies Need a Data Experience Designer

Pundits have dubbed personal data "the new oil" of the 21st century. Yet for all the hype surrounding big data, people complain they have less meaning and are frustrated with how poorly brands leverage their information. That's because many companies still mine data with the end goal of streamlining business processes, largely neglecting an essential piece in the data economy puzzle: the person. This article summarizes the findings of a global research project into the values and behavior of data "prosumers" -- individuals who are both producers and consumers of data, and who expect their personal data to be used to deliver new and better experiences. The authors define the core elements of a new design mind-set that companies must adopt as they create new data-rich products and services. In the emerging Personal Data Economy, firms will reap value to the extent that they enable, empower and meet future needs, rather than merely analyzing past behavior. They envisage a new organizational figure -- the data experience designer -- to take the process forward.