S1 - 29 | Beyond Dashboards: Building Data Products That Matter

In this episode of Discovering Data, I’m joined by Brian T. O’Neill, founder of Designing for Analytics and host of the Experiencing Data podcast. Brian’s mission is simple yet powerful—helping data practitioners design human-centered data products that drive real business outcomes.

We dive into the world of design thinking for data and explore how to avoid the common traps of focusing on outputs instead of outcomes. Brian shares the essence of treating data as a product, emphasizing empathy, understanding user needs, and delivering value that actually gets used.

Key Takeaways:

• Why data products fail and how a design-first mindset can help
• The power of empathy and user research in designing data solutions
• How to shift from project thinking to product thinking in enterprise data teams
• The role of UX research in identifying hidden needs
• Practical strategies to bridge the gap between data engineering and analytics

If you’re a data leader, BI professional, or digital transformation enthusiast, this conversation will resonate deeply. Tune in for actionable insights on building data solutions that truly matter.