Where there is data, there’s design.

Data is what we use to gather and express our knowledge about the world – and its role is exponentially growing as a central role in social, political and economic life.

The problem is that most people have neither the skills nor the interest to read or evaluate series of numbers and tables. People are needed to give form to the numbers, to put them in relation to each other and to the world around us, making them legible for everyone: this is the task of designers. Whether graphic, UX or fashion design – design makes virtual and physical things functional and beautiful. It creates form and makes things usable. With this central social position – especially in the information age – comes responsibility. The field of work of designers is currently expanding considerably. It is not just about reducing complexity and decorating products in an appealing way in the face of exponentially increasing information density, but also about making possible futures tangible by staging ideas. This ability to shape the world as an elementary part of the design profession must be recognized by designers and integrated into their everyday professional life as a responsibility.

The field of work of designers is currently expanding considerably. It is not just about reducing complexity and decorating products in an appealing way in the face of exponentially increasing information density, but also about making possible futures tangible by staging ideas with the help of algorithms and data. This ability to shape the world as an elementary part of the design profession must be recognized by designers and integrated into their everyday professional life as a responsibility.

In order to achieve this ambitious goal, it is essential to think beyond the traditional understanding of design and consider new possibilities. The omnipresence of data is a decisive factor that can make this change in thinking and acting possible. This is because data can not only be a represented element, but also a representational one. As input, it can drive design systems and tell stories by being integrated into a program – in any conceivable format.