According to the GOV.UK GDS design principle number 3: Design with data
In most cases, we can learn from real world behaviour by looking at how existing services are used. Let data drive decision-making, not hunches or guesswork. Keep doing that after taking your service live, prototyping and testing with users then iterating in response. Analytics should be built-in, always on and easy to read. They’re an essential tool.
Somehow I feel as though the intention there is only to make design decisions based on the data available, but it is missing a complementary element of designing interactions and interfaces (i.e. creating services) using data or making data available.
Is this concept covered somewhere else in the design guidelines as I feel it is very important in the age of the OpenData movement to have clearer standards and guidelines around the use of data in design. Examples of the use of data in various design elements include complex interactions and experiences such as infographics and data visualization, or something more traditional such as charts and tables.
My question is, should there be an item in the guideline to cover the use of data as a design element that goes under this design principle (or another one)?