This document provides an agenda for a design ethics workshop. It includes introductions and outlines tools for designers to apply an ethical approach to their work, including defining problems while considering stakeholders, analysing issues, generating options, and evaluating solutions intuitively, theoretically, and against codes of conduct. The goal is to help designers navigate conflicts between moral values and make well-informed decisions.
1. Honours minor – Clean Tech
Design ethics workshop!
Charlie Mulholland!
18 December 2013!
2. Agenda!
• Introduction!
– Who are we?!
– What is ethics?!
– Why design ethics?!
• Tools for a designerly approach to ethical
thinking!
– The ethical cycle!
3. Five things about me!
• Who are you?!
• Do a quick sketch to introduce yourself that
visualizes:!
– Something personal that you are willing to share!
– Something about your study that excites you!
– Something about your ambitions for the future!
– Something about what think is important to live a
good life!
– A random fact that your colleagues do not know!
6. Ethical does not necessarily mean legal!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Jess Loughborough: http://flickr.com/photos/sunface13/3098344728/!
7. Not all unethical behaviour is illegal !
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by val.pearl: http://flickr.com/photos/valpearl/5103209989/!
8. Not all laws raise serious ethical issues!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Eduardo Llanquileo: http://flickr.com/photos/eclib/6022178487/!
9. Not everything legal is ethical!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo by dusted: http://flickr.com/photos/41894170408@N01/592774/!
11. Moral systems consist of values (or ideas of
the good)!
Truth
Fairness
Justice
Self-discipline
Transparancy
Family
Loyalty
Moderation
No harm
Responsibilty
Community
Equality
Charity
Liberty
Respect
Loyalty
Safety
Integrity
Privacy
Autonomy
Fidelity
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Jim Mead: http://flickr.com/photos/jimmead/5708162698/
12. Ethics is about understanding how to live!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Live Life Happy: http://flickr.com/photos/deeplifequotes/8512794725/!
13. “Ethics begins when elements of a moral
system conflict” (Deni Elliot)!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Kevin Schraer: http://flickr.com/photos/coyotecreek/234008516/!
14. Community or individual autonomy?!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Bernard Burns: http://flickr.com/photos/bernardburns/3215375530/!
18. Ethics is about finding your way through this
maze!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Cyberslayer: http://flickr.com/photos/cyberslayer/952953634/!
22. …and (thus) it mediates how we (can) act on
the world!
Source: cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by Jason Weaver: http://flickr.com/photos/indyplanets/3926147797/!
23. Electric vehicle charging station etiquette!
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GzQumYXsH0#t=107 (Stanford Journalism) !
24. Essentially technology provides and denies
choice and so influences our behaviour!
Source: cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo by Alan Levine: http://flickr.com/photos/cogdog/5026449698/
25. Sometimes this is not problematic!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Jake Kitchener: http://flickr.com/photos/kitch/3288387680/
26. But sometimes it is (even if it is an unintended
consequence)!
Source: cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo by Salim Fadhley: http://flickr.com/photos/salimfadhley/96770312/
27. And sometimes this influence is problematic
and deliberate!
Source: http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/File_Facebook2-470x510.png
29. Values in the goal of the artefact!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo by Steve Fleischer: http://flickr.com/photos/flying_tiger/3855182335/
30. Values in the quality of the artefact!
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgOxWPGsJNY&feature=related
31. Values in the processes used!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo by Bas Bogers: http://flickr.com/photos/bogers/5062782496/
32. Values in the actual design decisions!
Source: Charlie Mulholland!
33. So in effect you are doing ethics for others!
Source: cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by kate hiscock: http://flickr.com/photos/slightlyeverything/4877537796/
34. But whose idea of “the good” do you or should
you use?!
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Insel_Utopia.png/585px-Insel_Utopia.png
35. Tools for a designerly approach to ethical
thinking!
36. Thinking about ethics can add more
complexity to the design process!
Source: Charlie Mulholland!
37. The ethical cycle!
Source: Poel, I. van de, & Royakkers, L. (2011). Ethics, Technology, and Engineering: An Introduction. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons!
38. Step 1: Define the problem (1st pass)!
•
•
•
•
What was your (design) problem statement?!
Who are the main actors (stakeholders)?!
What the conflicts were involved?!
How would you write a moral problem statement?!
39. Step 2: Analyse the problem (1st pass)!
• Identify stakeholders, their interests, values and power!
• Check your facts!
• Map the stakeholders!
40. Step 2a: Stakeholder analysis (1st pass)!
• Who is affected by
the problem?!
• Who is affected by
the solution?!
• Who has an
interest in the
problem?!
• Who has an
interest in the
solution?!
• Write each stakeholder on a post-it!
41. Step 2a: Stakeholder analysis (1st pass)!
• How is each
stakeholder
affected?!
• What are their
interests?!
• What is their
attitude to the
problem and why?!
• What is their likely
attitude to the
solution and why? !
• Write your answers on the relevant post-it!
42. Step 2b: Fact checking (1st pass)!
• Are you missing
any important
information?!
• Are your insights
into the
stakeholders facts
or assumptions?!
• Develop a
research plan to
address any
problems!
Source: cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Dave Gray: http://flickr.com/photos/davegray/3204274359/
43. Step 2c: Stakeholder mapping (1st pass)!
More
influence
on decision
Less
impacted
upon
More
impacted
upon
Less
influence
on decision
44. Step 2a: Stakeholder mapping (1st pass)!
More
influence
on decision
Government
Less
impacted
upon
More
impacted
upon
Less
influence
on decision
The
environment
45. Step 2a: Stakeholder mapping (1st pass)!
More
influence
on decision
Client(s)
Less
impacted
upon
More
impacted
upon
Less
influence
on decision
Neighbours
46. Step 1: Define the problem (2nd pass)!
• What was your (design) problem statement?!
• Who are the main actors (stakeholders)?!
• What the conflicts were involved?!
• Who has power/low impact upon & who has little power/
high impact upon?!
• How would you rewrite a moral problem statement?!
47. Step 1: Analyse the problem (2nd pass)!
• Have you missed anything?!
48. Step 3: Options for action (1st pass)!
• Develop ideas for solutions!
• Three strategies!
• Black & white!
• Creative middle-way!
• Co-operative (polderen)!
• Where does your solution fall?!
• What other options can you generate?!
50. Step 4a: Intuitive evaluation (1st pass)!
• Write the following
down:!
– What is your
intuitive feeling
about your solution
– ethical or not?!
– Why do you feel
this?!
• Discuss this with
your team!
Source: cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by hobvias sudoneighm: http://flickr.com/photos/striatic/2144933705/!
51. Step 4b: Theoretical evaluation (1st pass)!
• Analyze your
solution using the
three main western
ethical approaches!
• What would!
Aristotle!
Kant!
&!
Mill!
do?!
Source: cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo by hobvias sudoneighm: http://flickr.com/photos/striatic/2144933705/!
53. Virtue-based approach!
• Persons have a purpose and the good life is one
where they work to fulfil this!
• A virtuous act or quality is one that helps a person,
organization or to fulfil their purpose!
• Based on Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean!
– Virtue (or excellence) is moderation in all actions!
– Virtue comes as the result of education, training and practice!
54. Virtue is a character trait or habit of action!
Golden Mean
Vice of deficiency
Virtue
Vice of excess
Cowardice
Courage
Rashness
Aloofness
Friendliness
Obsequiness
Meekness
Self-confidence
Arrogance
Self-denial
Individualism
Egoism
55. Applying a virtue-based approach!
1. Focus on the purpose of the actors!
– What is the “purpose” of the conflicting
stakeholders in this situation?!
– What is the “purpose” of your solution?!
– What is your “purpose” as a design team?!
2. What acts and qualities does each have to
demonstrate to achieve their purpose?!
3. Are they doing this? !
56. Duty-based approach!
• Persons are unique as rational beings, the good
life is one that acts so as to respect this in all
persons and acts in line with the moral law!
• A good act is one done in accordance with the
moral law!
• Based on Kant’s moral law!
– The idea of categorical imperative to act only in a way
that could be universalized as a moral law for all
persons!
– The principle of humanity that all persons are ends in
themselves (because of their liberty and rationality) and
should never be treated as a means to an end!
• We have a duty to act morally because of our
rationality!
57. Applying a duty-based approach!
1. What are the acts of the different
stakeholders?!
2. Could these acts be turned into universal
laws without absurdity?!
3. Are any of the stakeholders using another
rational being as a means to an end? !
58. Consequence-based approach!
• The good life is acting so as to maximize good
consequences!
• Utilitarianism – an act is good if would
contribute positively to the sum of happiness!
• Welfare consequentialism – an act is good if it
increases overall welfare!
59. Applying a duty-based approach!
1. Does your solution increase the overall
welfare?!
2. Is there a more optimal or fairer distribution?!
60. Step 4c: Evaluation against a code of conduct
(1st pass)!
• Check your
solution against
your
professional or
organizational
code of conduct!
• Example:
Hippocratic
oath “first do
not harm”!
Source: cc licensed ( BY ND ) flickr photo by Adrian Clark: http://flickr.com/photos/adrianclarkmbbs/3001543858/!
61. Step 5: Ethical evaluation (1st pass)!
•
•
•
•
How do the views compare to each other? !
What does “common sense” say?!
What do your stakeholders say?!
What next?!
62. Final test: would I tell my mum?!
Source: cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo by Quinn Dombrowski: http://flickr.com/photos/quinnanya/4390671785/!