Building a Data Integration Team

Data-driven design is expected to change design processes and organizations in significant ways. What actions should design managers take to ensure the best possible outcomes in this new data-driven design environment? This paper employs an interdisciplinary literature survey to distill key impacts that data-driven design may have on designers, design teams, organizations and product users. Findings reveal that designers may need a broader set of skills to be successful. For data-driven design to be most effective, design managers will be challenged with many integration tasks, including the integration of AI-based tools into design teams, the closer integration of interdisciplinary teams, the integration of qualitative design thinking methods with new data-driven design paradigms, and the integration of data and algorithms into traditional human-centred design practice, in an effort to overcome cognitive limitations and augment human skill. This paper identifies gaps in the literature at the intersection of data-driven design and design management, design thinking, and systems thinking.

This book chapter explores the transformative role of data-driven decision-making and AI integration in academic marketing, with a focus on student outreach and engagement strategies. As higher education institutions face increasing competition and evolving student expectations, leveraging real-time data and AI-powered personalization has become crucial for maintaining relevance and optimizing recruitment efforts. The chapter presents a comprehensive analysis of the strategies, frameworks, and technologies that institutions can utilize to enhance their marketing ecosystems. It examines the critical importance of real-time data integration, AI-enhanced personalization, and institutional readiness for embracing digital transformation. The chapter addresses the challenges of executing AI-driven campaigns, focusing on crisis response, real-time adaptability, and the integration of cross-functional teams. The outcomes highlight the significant impact of AI on student engagement and recruitment, emphasizing the need for institutions to develop resilient and agile marketing ecosystems. As the future of academic marketing continues to evolve, this chapter provides valuable insights into how institutions can leverage emerging technologies to enhance their outreach efforts and secure long-term success. Key areas discussed include AI, data-driven marketing, student engagement, real-time adaptability, institutional readiness, and crisis response.

The Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) is a major new collaborative socio‐economic research programme involving five higher education institutions in Wales. This paper introduces the work of the WISERD data integration team and describes their plans for the development of an online geo‐portal. Their aim is to support WISERD researchers by providing a framework for integrating, managing and disseminating quantitative and qualitative socio‐economic data in Wales. This paper outlines the goals of this major project, discusses the concept of the WISERD geo‐portal and reports on initial investigations into geo‐portal development using free and open‐source (FOSS) software. The paper concludes with a brief summary of the future work of the WISERD data integration team.