Ethics in tech is still more buzzword than reality

As individual designers, we wonder if it is possible to act compassionately, thoughtfully, lovingly, and inclusively in organisational settings that are mostly driven by profit and growth.

When ethics are discussed in creative industry organisations, they’re not treated as the bedrock of how we each live in the world, but as a nice little addition to product design – call in an ethicist at the end of the design process and have them sprinkle some ethics on top of it.

So what options do we have at the ground level? The writer of this piece urges designers to trade ideas about beauty, justice and goodness with philosophers. After all, they’ve studied the topic in depth. This is a great idea, but surely a lifelong project! Which is why I also like his other suggestion: Just slow down. Don’t be bullied by deadlines. Demand ample time to think carefully before you act.

– Prusdcilla Hough- Davies, Senior Design Researcher