Hi there, Matt here.
Today, I’m sharing the last installment of Ethics for designers.
I wrote most of Ethics for designers in December and January. At the time, I felt that the case for ethics in design was still pretty abstract. I hoped my arguments would find a few curious ears. I saw the series as just one step towards a more informed practice.
But over the last three months, the world has changed. COVID-19; the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and others; the brazen abuse of protesters by police across the US; the case for ethical design is as clear as it’s ever been. It’s no longer an abstract idea.
Our healthcare and law enforcement systems were designed. Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of thousands of protesters and demonstrators, the ethical flaws in those designs are under a microscope.
My voice is just one of many. There’s so many people sharing their experience and wisdom. Listen to them. If you need a place to start, here’s a thread from Sameera Kapila. It will give you hours of reading material on the history of design outside the Eurocentric status quo.
I’m grateful to the folks who have supported me as I wrote and published this series. I’ve had so many fulfilling and challenging conversations about ethics since I began this process. This moment fills me with hope for the future of design. Where should we go next?
As always, you can read the latest installment on my website: