A personal talk about working with ethics in my work - and not.

1. ETHICS - IN
THE LIFE OF
A UX'ER
Cases, perspectives & some presumptious statements :)

2. WHO & WHY?
Camilla Dahl
e
Interaction designer 200
3
--> UX strategist/ proces
s
'don't be so idealistic
'
--> embracing ethics and sustainability

3. What I am going to talk about

4. My journey -
fi
nding my
standing... perhaps it
can help you in your
own journey :)

5. How can I work
ethically as a
designer?

6. It's about knowing your values
• a feeling of frustration and
meaninglessness over a
number of year
s
• not just as "a designer" -
but as a whole self
including my values

7. I felt we kept focusing on
our own designer bubble
- not being interested in the
world
= meaningless design

8. because for me 'ethics' is
about
Justice
Democracy
Equality
Freedom
Fairness
.. and more
Being a world citizen,
designing to better our
lives
This makes it meaningful
for me to be a designer

9. - what makes you feel guilt, anxiety,
anger, stress, grief, boredom
?
- Think for a minute about yesterday
- was there a moment where you
had a negative emotion? What did
it tell you about a value you have?
What are your values? What is especially meaningful to you ?

10. My values
Helping other
s
Show the realit
y
Be a good role model:
equality, diversity,
nature.. sustainability

11. .. Ethics and sustainability

12. .. Ethics and sustainability
• the triple bottom lin
e
• Ethical issues are part of all
of i
t
• there is no such thing as an
un-sustainable and ethical
product ..
.
• it's about responsibility

13. One of my core interests
the difference between theory and
reality: creating change in real lif
e

14. One of my core focuses
the difference between theory and
reality: creating change in real lif
e
• a JOINT e
ff
ort
• Ethics is in every choice
you make - so make
conscious choices

15. • GDPR 201
8
• Private data scandal
s
• Public services WCAG
compliance 2018: SE, D
K
• Ethics in the news - metoo,
sustainability, mental health,
work life (covid), privacy, value
driven thinkin
g
• Tech diplomacy / digital
diplomacy
Ethics in design - what is
changing?

16. How can I work
ethically as a
designer?

17. How can I work
ethically as a
designer?
1. Design ethically (products)

18. How can I work
ethically as a
designer?
1. Design ethically (products
)
2. Select ethical clients (business)

19. 1. Design ethically (products
)
2. Select ethical clients (business
)
3. Change structures (systems)
How can I work
ethically as a
designer?

20. Question:
Imagine yourself working with ethics, - what
do you see
?
5 mins writing down + then sharing
How can I work
ethically as a
designer?
1. Design ethically (products
)
2. Select ethical clients (business
)
3. Change structures (systems)

21. CASES

22. • 2006-201
1
• Social media before it was social media. A
white label chat & date service +
competitions on SMS, MMS, mobile, we
b
• Mobile
fi
rs
t
• Latin America as the primary market
Chat & Date communities
Designing ethically
Client: Atchik/ operator
s
Role: Product manager/ UX

23. • A wild west looking for 'critical mass'
• An example of an immature market - you will
meet it
!
• Privacy was not considere
d
• The iPhone came in 2007-2008
Chat & Date communities
Designing ethically
Client: Atchik/ operator
s
Role: Product manager/ UX

24. • Prostitution, drugs, weapons, politics (coups), religion,
but not common rights
• Expensive SMSes in poor countrie
s
• Little legislation, mainly contract based
• Client focused - contracts with operator
s
• Introducing user centered design - UX not yet know
n
• personal data was used to promote to selected users, the
data was accessible to us in the compan
y
• 15 years later : issues still not resolved, but legislation is
here
Chat & Date communities
Designing ethically
Client: Atchik/ operator
s
Role: Product manager/ UX
Ethical aspects:

25. • 2011-1
2
• Building m-commerc
e
• Making it simple to shop anywher
e
• Apps where taking off big time and
online shopping really started. A new
market and type of service
Designing ethically
Client: H&
M
Role: UX designer/ tablet web

26. • Dark patterns started being discussed,
transparenc
y
• Focusing on user centered design,
usability - how can that be a problem
?
• .. but we introduced in
fi
nite scrol
l
• ... and it was all focused on the design,
not consumption/ fast fashio
n
• Understanding that there are FUTURE &
bigger problems
Designing ethically
Client: H&
M
Role: UX designer/ tablet web
Ethical aspects:

27. PHOTO CAPTION
• 201
6
• A learning app aimed for preschools/ children
between 4-6 yrs, supporting the work in
preschool
s
• Budget set by public spending, taxe
s
• Must live up to the contract with the Swedish
stat
e
• Directly linked to the plan for preschools
Designing ethically - ethical client
Client: UR/ SV
T
Role: UX designer

28. • Accessibility, Diversity + Learning goals (language, math,
music, etc
)
• Play not games
• open-ended activitie
s
• No rewards or gami
fi
cation element
s
• No right nor wrong way to play with it, opening it up to the
childs own imagination
Designing ethically - ethical client
Client: UR/ SV
T
Role: UX designer
Ethical aspects:

29. • Getting personalised discounts based on memberships
and credit card traf
fi
c
• Building partnerships with companies with large existing
user base
s
• Research into discount behaviours in connection to a
membership in a gy
m
• Design sprints in order to build up a concept
Finance startup
Ethical client
Client: Malmö fintech startu
p
Role: UX strategist

30. • Ethics or research results not taken seriously, but we
waite
d
• Business idea turned out to be using end users own
bank traf
fi
c to receive personalised offers, just
because they were members somewhere
.
• Un-ethical to read users own bank traf
fi
c
Finance startup
Ethical client
Client: Malmö fintech startu
p
Role: UX strategist
Ethical aspects:

31. • 201
9
• Service design research for the transportation service for
the sick, elderly or disable
d
• Mapping out how caseworkers handled each request to
improve the servic
e
• Private company which is funded by public budgets (tax)
• The service is free for those whose case is approved
Ethical client
Client: Skånetrafiken/ Servicereso
r
Role: UX researcher

32. • The system was not ef
fi
cient enoug
h
• the time spent on the system = less time on the customer
s
• the customers preferred the phone or personal contac
t
• when researching the data we were using could only be used in
anonymousl
y
• the system was very ol
d
• the suggestions we came up with had to be easily understood and
navigated
Ethical client
Ethical aspects:
Client: Skånetrafiken/ Servicereso
r
Role: UX researcher

33. • 2020-202
1
• Public ID system for businesses for the Danish stat
e
• Infrastructure for all Danish businesses to manage their
access all core state functions, taxes, banks, as well as
private service providers
.
• Everything is controlled by contract and legislatio
n
• A lot of stakeholders, mainly the Danish state, but also heavy
duty IT companies, developing under a tight state contract
NemLog-in/ MitID Erhverv
Designing ethically - Structures
Client: Nets for the Danish stat
e
Role: UX process lead

34. • Accessibility - legal requirement for gov service
s
• ALL Danish businesse
s
• = Universal design, user testing is required by contract, WCAG &
ISO, legal requirement
s
• Outside-in ethics, not inside-ou
t
• Working with the work culture, collaboration and biases against
'IT' or 'UX'
• UX methods vs heavy legislation
NemLog-in/ MitID Erhverv
Designing ethically - Structures
Client: Nets for the Danish stat
e
Role: UX process lead

35. Thoughts, reflections ?

36. Values I discovered through experienc
e
Don't cheat or hide informatio
n
No selling of personal dat
a
Don't encourage fast consumption
No gami
fi
cation or addictive pattern
s
Be critical and take the consequence
s
Think beyond intuitive service
s
Speak out and avoid gender bias

37. think about what areas your
values would matc
h
5 min
s
then share

38. • cleancreatives.org/ non-pro
fi
t campaign
s
• 'No dirty clients
'
• what IS a dirty client
?
• their value: not working with fossil-fuel
clients or product
s
• https://www.wholegraindigital.com/about-
us
/
• follows sustainable principle
s
• selects clients
how others do

39. PHOTO CAPTION
Ask question
s
eg 'would you let your child/parents use this?
'
Match with your value
s
Make a choice

40. Thank you!