Ethical Blueprints: Tackling Design Dilemmas Head-On
Navigating ethical challenges in design isn’t just about avoiding pitfalls — it’s about creating products that are good for users, society, and business
On the surface, ethical design seems like a straightforward concept. “Just design things ethically — right?” But when you dig deeper, you realise it’s more complex.
Ethical decision-making has become fundamental to my craft throughout my career for several crucial reasons.
First, the impact of design goes beyond aesthetics or functionality; it influences how people interact with technology and, by extension, how they interact with the world.
Second, design choices can have significant social implications. From ensuring accessibility for all users, including those with disabilities, to considering how design can perpetuate stereotypes or biases, the ethical stakes are high.
Third, businesses are increasingly being held accountable for the ethical implications of their products. A design that doesn’t consider ethics is not just a poor design; it’s a risk. Customers are becoming more conscious of these factors. They are more likely to engage with products that align with their values.
Lastly, ethical design contributes to a more inclusive and equitable world. By making thoughtful design decisions, we can help bridge gaps, remove barriers, and create a more just digital landscape.
So, for me, ethical decision-making isn’t a mere add-on to the design process — it’s an integral part of our responsibility as designers.
So, What is Ethical Decision-Making?
In essence, ethical decision-making is evaluating the moral implications of your choices. In the context of design and UX, it means considering how your work affects not just user experience but also societal norms, individual privacy, and overall well-being. It’s not just about making your app more addictive; it’s about asking, “Should it be addictive in the first place?”
Why Do We Need to Consider It?
Ethics dilemmas in our field are more common than you might think, such as when we’re tasked with designing a sign-up process for a new app. The business team are keen on “dark patterns” to maximise sign-ups, but did they consider the implications of tricking users into sharing more information than they intended?
Many of you will remember the controversy surrounding Facebook’s “emotional contagion” experiment in 2014. The company manipulated the news feeds of almost 700,000 users to study how emotional states could be spread through social media. Though the experiment yielded exciting data, it raised significant ethical concerns about consent and psychological manipulation. It’s a striking example of why ethical considerations should be integral to design and UX processes.
“It’s essential to recognise that every design decision can affect someone’s life. From how we present information to our design choices, each decision can contribute to or detract from the user’s well-being. That’s why it’s essential to think and talk about ethics.”
Samantha Osys,
Steps for Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
So, how do we navigate this tricky terrain? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make ethical decisions in your design and UX roles.
Step 1: Identify the Ethical Dilemma
What It Means: Before you can solve a problem, you must know that it exists. An ethical dilemma often manifests as a situation where you’re torn between multiple options, each with its moral implications.
How to address it
- Self-Awareness: Cultivate a habit of questioning your design choices. Ask yourself, “Is this choice potentially harmful or manipulative?”
- Team Input: Bring up ethical considerations in team meetings. A different perspective often highlights issues you still need to consider.
- User Feedback: Pay attention to what your users are saying. User feedback can be a goldmine for spotting unintended ethical pitfalls.
Step 2: Gather Information
What It Means: Gathering information involves researching the potential impact of your decisions. This isn’t just about looking at analytics but also considering the social, emotional, and psychological effects on users.
How to Do It
- Impact Assessment: Who will be affected by this choice? How? Is it fair to all parties involved?
- Consult Expertise: Don’t hesitate to consult people specialising in ethics, law, or social sciences to get an in-depth understanding.
Step 3: Evaluate Alternatives
What It Means: You’ll rarely find only one way to achieve a goal. Evaluation involves weighing different approaches that accomplish the same end but might be more ethical.
How to Do It
- Brainstorm: Get your team together to come up with alternative solutions.
- Prototype: Create low-fidelity prototypes for different approaches to test their viability.
- Ethical Review: Use an ethical framework to evaluate these alternatives. This can be a simple pros-and-cons list or something more formal like a SWOT analysis.
Step 4: Make a Decision
What It Means: This is the crux of the matter — choosing an option based on your ethical evaluation.
How to Do It
- Consult Team: Ethical decisions should not be made in isolation. Gather your team and discuss your findings.
- Seek External Input: Sometimes, it helps to get a third-party opinion, whether it’s from an ethics board, legal team, or even user testing focused on ethical dimensions.
Step 5: Take Action
What It Means: Once you’ve decided, it’s time to put it into practice.
How to Do It
- Implementation Plan: Create a clear plan for how to implement your decision.
- Communication: Be transparent about why a change is being made, especially if it alters the user experience or data-handling procedures.
Step 6: Reflect on the Outcome
What It Means: Reflecting on the outcome is about evaluating the effects of your decision, not just in terms of metrics but also ethical considerations.
How to Do It
- Follow-Up Studies: Look at user feedback and analytics to see how the change affects user behaviour and sentiments.
- Team Reflection: Have a debrief with your team to discuss what went well and what could be improved for future ethical decision-making.
An Example from My Experience
Let’s talk about a real-world situation I faced. I worked on a health app to help Multiple Myeloma patients manage their complex treatment schedules, often including various medications, chemotherapy sessions, and regular doctor visits.
The ethical dilemma arose when we considered integrating a feature allowing family members to monitor medication adherence and symptoms through the app remotely.
On the one hand, this feature could be beneficial, providing a safety net for elderly patients who might forget their medication or experience severe symptoms. On the other hand, it posed potential ethical concerns around privacy and consent. Could we implement this feature in a way that respects the autonomy and privacy of the patient?
To navigate this, I consulted healthcare professionals for guidance on legal and ethical standards. I also asked patients and their families about their preferences and concerns.
Based on the feedback, I came up with different design options. One was to make the monitoring feature opt-in. Another was to let patients choose which data could be shared. I also thought of adding a “panic button” for emergencies, offering a more respectful way to monitor patients.
After weighing the options, I implemented a combined approach that offered flexibility and preserved user privacy. Once the app was launched, my work didn’t stop there. I continued to monitor user feedback and usage patterns to evaluate the real-world implications of my ethical choices. The positive reactions from patients and family members and a high rate of opt-ins for the monitoring feature reassured me that I had found a balanced solution that respected safety and privacy.
By going through this structured ethical decision-making process, I was able to design a feature that met user needs while also adhering to ethical standards. It’s worth noting that ethical decision-making is an ongoing process; we continue to gather feedback and are prepared to iterate on our design choices in response to user needs and ethical considerations.
Remember, the goal is not just to solve design problems but to solve them in a way that respects all stakeholders’ dignity, autonomy, and well-being. This is particularly important in healthcare settings, where design choices can directly impact the quality of someone’s life.
Final thoughts
Ethical decision-making is not a checkbox but an ongoing process. By following these steps, you’re better equipped to navigate the challenging but crucial terrain of ethics in design and UX. By incorporating ethical considerations into your design process, you are taking a big step in becoming a great and responsible designer. So the next time you find yourself at an ethical crossroads, take an action back and think. Your users — and your conscience — will thank you.
