Design meets data: Why UX/UI & human-centred design is key to results

‍Human-centred design for better outcomes

We want people who use your digital product to interact, engage, and complete desired actions.

How? This is where the intersection of user experience (UX) and data analytics plays a critical role in the success of any project. Well-designed interfaces ensure that users can navigate complex data effortlessly, transforming insights into action.

What is User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI)?

UX (User Experience): UX focuses on how a user interacts with and experiences a product, system, or service. It’s about usability, accessibility, and overall user satisfaction. In a dashboard, UX involves ensuring that navigation is intuitive, data is easy to understand, and users can accomplish their goals efficiently.

UI (User Interface): UI refers to the visual and interactive elements of a product, like buttons, icons, layouts, and colours. It’s about creating an appealing and consistent design that enhances the user’s interaction with the product. For example, in a dashboard, UI includes the placement of charts, the use of colours to highlight trends, and the design of buttons for filtering data.

Together, UX and UI work hand in hand to create solutions that are both functional and visually engaging.

Why UX/UI matters in data projects

• Simplifies Complexity: Data can be overwhelming. Intuitive design distills large datasets into clear, actionable insights.
• Boosts Engagement: A user-friendly interface ensures stakeholders actively use tools rather than avoiding them.
• Improves Decision-Making: Accessible, well-organised data helps users make smarter, faster decisions.
• Drives Adoption: A seamless user experience increases the likelihood of widespread adoption within an organisation.

Human-Centred Design: The Foundation of Effective UX/UI

When software development projects fail, a common denominator is that they were built solely with technology in mind—not the people who use them.

“Technology should serve people, not the other way around,” says Alex Avery, Managing Director and Founder of Notitia. “Real people drive business outcomes—which means that those who use the technology need to be able to use it effectively to achieve their goals.”

Human-centred design ensures that digital tools align seamlessly with business needs and workflows. Instead of forcing users to adapt to software, it ensures that the software is built around them.

Notitia’s Lead Designer, Carolina Perez-Dilsizian, puts it simply: “Without end-user input, assumptions drive development, leading to usability issues, inefficiencies, and reworks. Software should always fit into the way that people work. When we prioritise user behaviour, needs, and workflows, we create solutions that people actually want to use. That’s what human-centred design is all about.”

Case Studies: Data & Design

• User-Centric Approach: Start with the end user in mind. Understand their needs, challenges, and goals.
• Visual Clarity: Use clean layouts, consistent colour schemes, and intuitive navigation.
• Functionality First: Design should enhance usability, not complicate it.
• Iterative Improvement: Regularly gather feedback and refine the design based on user input.

NWMPHN: Designing the Future of Healthcare Tools

Notitia partnered with NWMPHN to conceptualise a Health Needs Assessment (HNA) web tool. While still in its early stages, the goal is clear: create an interactive and informative platform for exploring geographic, demographic, and social determinants of health. By focusing on user needs and visual clarity, Notitia is laying the groundwork for a tool that will transform how healthcare providers understand their communities.

Foodbank Victoria: Turning Data into Action

Foodbank Victoria needed an intuitive way to visualise food distribution trends and demand. Notitia designed an interactive dashboard that provides real-time data and uses smart visualisations to highlight critical areas of need. This design-first approach has helped Foodbank allocate resources more effectively.

WentWest: Enhancing Healthcare Reporting

For WentWest, Notitia delivered dashboards with a focus on user-friendly design, ensuring their team could access healthcare insights without technical expertise. The result? A reporting process that’s faster, easier, and more impactful.

How Notitia Combines Digital Design & Data

Our process ensures that design and data work hand in hand:

• Stakeholder Interviews: Direct engagement with end users to understand challenges, workflows, and needs.
• Contextual Research: Mapping information within project goals to ensure alignment with business objectives.
• User Personal Mapping: Creating detailed user personas to visualise different user needs and expectations - this is where gaps or assumptions are quickly identified.
• Analysis & Recommendations: Identifying design and functionality gaps before development begins.
• Tailored Development: Designing dashboards, workflows, and features that address specific user groups.
• End-User Training: Ensuring adoption by providing training tailored to real-world use cases.

Aesthetic appeal is not the goal of human-centred design—effectiveness is. “A product that looks great but frustrates users is a failure,” says Ms Perez-Dilsizian. “A well-designed software product disappears into the background and lets users focus on their goals. That’s the real measure of success.”

Whether we’re creating dashboards, mobile apps, or interactive web tools, Notitia’s approach to digital design is grounded in one principle: results matter. Our team of designers and data experts work together to craft solutions that empower users, drive engagement, and deliver measurable outcomes.

Want to see how intelligent design can transform your business? Let’s chat!

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