Don Norman's perfect summary of the complex relationship between innovation and data-driven design.
Those who dislike the ambiguity and uncertainty of human judgments, with its uncertain track record and contradictory statements will try to abolish the human element in favor of the certainty that numbers and data appear to offer.
But those who want the big gains that creative judgment can produce will follow their own judgment.
The first case will bring about the small, continual improvements that have contributed greatly to the increased productivity and lowering of costs of our technologies.
The second case will be rewarded with great failures and occasional great success. But those great successes will transform the world.
From the excellent article Design without Designers