Unless you’ve been living on the moon for the last few years, you’ve heard the buzzword ‘big data’. It came to us mostly as an ability to process large amount of data – structured, semi-structured and unstructured.
Earlier this year, I mused about the opportunity to leverage big data during different design stages (Information as a services, expertise as a service) in the context of data analytics. Navigate here to read more. Two stories excited me the most with regards to big data and analytics – the story of True & co – company using customer data to generate better design and machine design stories from AU 2014 – Future of design: how to connect physical and digital entities.
Big data tech indeed delivered impressive results in the ability of crunching data for different purposes. However, most of that was focused on the ability of actually processing data and developing algorithms to access and analysis the data. So, think about gathering information about all available design usage of part can be invaluable. At the same time, just by giving this information in the way of usage stats can drive countless questions from customers – how to get use of this information?
Here is a new trend coming – Big data 2.0. Aside of marketing buzz, it takes big data story into very interesting direction – intelligence. Entrepreneur article Watch Out! Here Comes Big Data 2.0 sheds some lights on the idea.
…But this period, bereft of insights, will soon be coming to an end. There is a new wave of companies and technologies that are changing how data is handled. Instead of simply visualizing and presenting data, the big data 2.0 groups will be interpreting your data and giving insights and actionable advice on it. [And this is] No longer for the big boys. It used to be that insights into what your data was telling you were exclusively reserved for enterprise level companies. It was they who could afford data scientists, analysts, and modelers to wrangle their data and present solutions rather than more questions. But with the advent and advances in deep machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence) software and machines are now able to provide many of these insights to the general business community.
What is my conclusion? It looks like machine learning and AI trends are coming back from late 1980s in a form of new type of technology crunching data and delivery insight on data. It can change the way of making decisions. One of the largest opportunity in the engineering field is design intelligence. Most of design decisions are relying on the traditional engineers’ memories of “how to design things”. Big Data 2.0 can change that into “data driven design” approach. An interesting space to innovate. Just my thoughts.
Best, Oleg
Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
