Summary
The design industry’s relationship to the field of business has long been established and continues to become further entangled each year. But designers aren’t just satisfied with only disrupting the business sector—they’re keen to disrupt the social sector too. Unfortunately, the weaknesses baked into the discipline of design (that have been present from the start) are readily exposed when designers enter complex social issues and treat them like any other human-centered innovation challenge. The lack of a moral framework, let alone a set of ethical guidelines, put designers at great risk of doing more harm than good.
Key Insights
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The Juul cigarette case exemplifies how human-centered design can be weaponized to exploit human behavior rather than help it.
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Good design principles alone, like Dieter Rams’ 10 principles, are insufficient without an ethical framework.
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Most design practices rely on a BYOE (Bring Your Own Ethics) approach, causing ethical inconsistency across teams and projects.
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Power asymmetry in design projects often places designers at the ‘pointy end,’ limiting their ability to influence or refuse harmful work.
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Greater Good Studio practices regular ‘breakups’ with clients or projects when ethical concerns arise, which requires courage and collective team agreement.
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The design industry is drawn to comfort and capital, values that often appeal to the most powerful and can accelerate harm.
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Despite designers’ efforts to get 'a seat at the table,' design at scale may amplify harm if ethical considerations are not prioritized.
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Systematic accountability measures such as licensing, accreditation, and a code of ethics could help reduce design-related harm.
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Social sector design demands deliberate and careful interventions beyond commercial design’s capital and comfort focus.
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Collective ethical practices and frameworks can empower designers to say no and shift power toward marginalized communities and social good.
Notable Quotes
"Good design is honest. And yes, the Juul e-cigarette honestly kills you."
"Power is the ability to change another person’s reality."
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any."
"Not every question needs to turn into a project."
"When you say no is something we need practice at."
"Design helps build capital and seek comfort—values the most powerful are drawn to."
"Design at scale can be rocket fuel for harm if we are not careful."
"We mostly have a BYOE scenario—bring your own ethics—and that feels underwhelming as an industry."
"If I asked you as the team to tell me this thing is off, I have to commit to going through with that decision."
"What right do I have to do this work? That question has been hard to silence."
Or choose a question:
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