Diagnose with Data, Treat with Design

"You want to diagnose with data and treat with design. Data is not a tool that's going to tell you what you should build." — Julie Zhuo

What It Is

Data should be used to establish the "observability" of a business—understanding what is actually happening (diagnosing). However, data cannot dictate the solution; that requires creative empathy and design thinking (treatment).

When To Use

• Teams stuck in "analysis paralysis"
• Designers resist data because they feel it stifles creativity
• Leadership expects data to tell them what feature to build
• Product decisions are being made on "vibes" alone

Core Principles

1. Data Reflects Reality

Use metrics to understand user behavior and spot anomalies, not to predict the future with certainty.