The Roles of Quantification in Design

Abstract

In contemporary society, the depth and breadth of the quantification phenomenon have been continuously expanding, permeating everything from aspects of ordinary life to various specialized fields such as scientific research, social governance, and economic activities. Although this phenomenon has attracted the attention of multiple disciplines, the research in the field of philosophy of technology and design still needs to be further deepened. This study approaches quantification and quantitative research from the perspective of the philosophy of design. By comprehensively applying historical, sociological, and philosophical methods, it analyzes the roles of quantification in aspects such as social governance, individual cognition, and ethical politics, and reveals the underlying ontological, epistemological, and ethical-political issues. Specifically, through three carefully designed experiments, which respectively focus on the social constructiveness of quantitative tools, the ethical applicability of philosophy of design concepts, and the impact of data visualization, the relationships between the design of quantitative tools and user perception, ethical satisfaction, and cognitive efficiency have been empirically verified. This provides new perspectives, methods, and data that back quantitative research, emphasizes the applicability of philosophy of design concepts in quantitative technologies, and aims to promote the rational development of quantification to address the social problems brought about by the quantification phenomenon.