THE SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Under the provisions of the regulations for the degree
MASTER OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
on
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST
West Architecture 155
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Andreina (Nina) Nash Gutierrez
will present a thesis defense entitled,
“Metrics x Design: Overcoming Metric Integration Barriers in Design Process Through Toolkit Development”
Advisor:
Leandro Miletto Tonetto, Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design
Committee:
Florian Vollmer, Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design
Abigale Stangl, Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design
Faculty and students are invited to attend this presentation.
Abstract:
Integrating metrics into design practice has become increasingly important as organizations seek to balance data-informed decision-making with creative innovation, driven by the vast amounts of data generated by daily users and consumers. Despite this trend, designers face significant challenges incorporating quantitative measurement into traditionally qualitative processes, with few practical frameworks available to support this integration. This study developed and evaluated the Metric x Design Toolkit, designed to empower designers to meaningfully participate in data-driven decision-making while maintaining the value of qualitative design methods. SME interviews were conducted, and the toolkit was developed following the Double Diamond framework for design and innovation. The evaluation included a workshop with pre/post assessments to identify four primary integration barriers: conceptual understanding, practical application, contextual learning environments, and attitudinal resistance. Workshop results showed measurable improvements in designers' metric competencies, including increases in knowledge (+1.33), confidence (+1.78), and preparedness (+1.45) on a 5-point scale, based on pre/post-survey averages. The Metric x Design Toolkit achieved a System Usability Scale score of 83.6, indicating excellent usability based on the SUS adjective rating scale. These findings demonstrate that the systematically designed Metric x Design Toolkit effectively bridges the qualitative-quantitative divide in design practice by complementing established design methods with quantitative insights through metric integration, offering a theoretical framework for understanding metric integration challenges and a practical solution for applying measurement in the design process.