dataMKT

A consumer data exchange platform designed to give users greater transparency and value from their digital footprint.

Year
2025

Team
Nick Lyons, Nirkhunan Kuppuram

Sector
Tech

Discipline
Research
Strategy
Product Design

Overview
dataMKT empowers individuals to control, protect, and monetize their personal data.

dataMKT is a consumer data exchange platform designed to give users greater transparency and value from their digital footprint.
Features offered include a Data Value Dashboard to show consumers the value of their data , a real-time marketplace to gain
discounts and rewards , and user-defined settings to manage data sharing.

Problem

Consumers are frequently excluded from capturing any of their data value.

Why are we designing this?
The global personal data market was estimated to be worth over $300 billion in 2020, with projections indicating continued growth.

Research
Users are interested in data control but find the platform's execution confusing and emotionally unrewarding.

I worked with my partner to conduct moderated 1-on-1 usability testing sessions over Zoom with a Figma prototype. Our
participants were individuals aged 20-40 with a moderate to high interest in data privacy. There were some core themes, namely:

Confusing terminology and unclear actions felt overly technical.

Disconnected features and hidden controls made navigation difficult.

Lacked emotional connection and clear motivation beyond just money.

Analyzing competitors
I wanted to identify gaps within the current data privacy and monetization market. Analyzing the market landscape showed that
existing solutions were siloed. Competitors focused separately on privacy, security, data visibility, or value capture, but none
offered a unified platform that combined all four elements.

Aligning on the MVP
Based on our research insights and understanding of the market gap, we defined the core functionality for our Minimum Viable
Product (MVP). The three core features we moved forward with were:
User-Defined Data Sharing: To give users transparent control to see where data is shared and revoke access.

Consumer Data Value Dashboard: To show consumers the value of their data and opportunities to increase it.

Real-time Consumer Data Marketplace: To provide clear opportunities for customers to gain discounts, rewards, or cash.

Impact

The direct impact of dataMKT is delivered through its core features, which transform data from an abstract concept into a
manageable asset. The Data Value Dashboard shows users exactly what their data is worth , while the Marketplace
provides a clear path to earn real-world rewards, discounts, and cash. This creates a system where users are no longer
passive subjects but active participants in the data economy.

Furthermore, the User-Defined Data Sharing feature directly addresses the 79% of Americans concerned about data
privacy by offering transparent controls to see who has their data and revoke access at any time. The product's impact is
in making data privacy and monetization not just possible, but simple and accessible. Ultimately, the goal is to disrupt the
$300 billion data market by giving consumers the tools to participate in the value they create.

Takeaways

Advocate, but speak the same product language as your users.

Value must be made visible.

For users to care about their data, they must first see its value quantified in a simple, direct way, like on a personal dashboard.

Control is the ultimate feature for building trust.

For users to care about their data, they must first see its value quantified in a simple, direct way, like on a personal dashboard.

Participation requires a marketplace.

For users to care about their data, they must first see its value quantified in a simple, direct way, like on a personal dashboard.

Playground

About

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Mission With A Vision

Red Horizon

New Projects The Polis Project Brand Strategy, Identity, Motion, Website (October 2025)

Upcoming Projects

Eleven Named People Brand Strategy, Identity, Motion (November 2025)

LinkedIn
Behance
Medium

Design
The Polis Project

Housing Works
Marketplace of the Future

dataMKT

Foodle

Strategy
SYNC

New Projects
The Polis Project
Brand Strategy, Identity, Motion, Website
(October 2025)

Eleven Named People
Brand Strategy, Identity, Motion
(November 2025)