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Here are techniques you can use to advocate for ethical design.
New Terms:
- Human-Centered Design (HCD): A philosophy defined by "the active involvement of users and a clear understanding of user and task requirements". Developed by Don Norman (among others). Definition from the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA)
- ICE: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (see link below for further reading)
Further Reading:
- Accessibility For UX Designers - Treehouse course
- How to get started with inclusive design by Cora Cowles - Treehouse Festival 2020
- Amazon warehouse workers strike to protest inhumane conditions - The Verge
- Hundreds of workers defy Amazon rules to protest company's climate failures - The Guardian
- ICE - Wikipedia
- ICE Contract With GitHub Sparks Developer Protests - The Atlantic
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MICHELLE: The ability to effectively advocate for
ethical design in your organization
0:03
depends on several factors,
many of which are outside of your control.
0:08
The most foundational place to start is
with advocating for human-centered design.
0:13
Developed in part by Don Norman,
0:20
it's a philosophy defined by
the active involvement of users and
0:23
a clear understanding of user and
task requirements.
0:28
By centering humans and
product discussions,
0:32
we are poised to make ethical decisions.
0:34
Designers connect with users
when they conduct user research.
0:37
But other folks in the organization may
not be as in tune with the products'
0:41
audience.
0:46
If you're a designer,
share the user struggles and
0:46
successes with the entire organization.
0:50
Develop diverse personas that
address a range of genders,
0:52
physical disabilities,
internet speeds, and so on.
0:56
Use storytelling to create empathy.
1:02
UX designer Cora Cowles spoke about
this at the Treehouse Festival in 2020.
1:05
Build empathy for people, not users.
1:11
Present quantitative findings first,
and then qualitative.
1:14
Stories resonate with people
more than hard numbers.
1:18
They add context to your decision making,
and
1:22
help leaders understand
the ethical concern.
1:24
Accessibility advocate
Laura Kalbag emphasizes that designing for
1:29
disabilities helps everyone.
1:34
Designing for
1:36
vision-related needs helps everyone
use their device in bright sunlight.
1:37
Improving products for deaf and
hard of hearing people enables me to watch
1:42
videos with the captions on without
disturbing people around me.
1:46
Making interfaces more accessible for
1:51
those with motor-related needs makes
them easier to operate for others.
1:53
To learn more about accessibility,
check out the teacher's notes.
1:57
Ban together with co-workers.
2:03
When employees join together with
a common vision, companies take notice.
2:05
Amazon workers have formed affinity
groups to advocate for environmental and
2:10
warehouse worker justice.
2:14
And GitHub employees have organised
a protest against GitHub's
2:17
contract with ICE.
2:20
The employees do not want to be
complicit in ICE's human rights abuses.
2:22
If you feel impassioned to
reform a company policy,
2:27
find other folks in the organization
who care about ethical design,
2:31
and advocate for change from within.
2:36
As a final note,
be careful to assess the situation.
2:39
Not everyone is able to
advocate without repercussions.
2:43
Cultural differences and team dynamics can
impact how effectively you can advocate.
2:46
Some cultures have
a do-as-you're-told mentality,
2:52
while others welcome critical discussions.
2:55
Ask yourself, what are the consequences
of being the skeptic in the room?
2:58
Some of us in the United States
work in employment at-will states.
3:03
So be careful to understand
the consequences of speaking out.
3:07
I know it's not ideal.
3:11
Please don't feel pressure to
do more than you're able to.
3:13
Take care of yourself,
and good luck out there.
3:16
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