Code of Ethics
by: Makenzie Easterling
Throughout my design career, I have not yet thought of my own code of ethics. It wasn’t until I was challenged to do so in my User Centered Design class. The inspiration behind my Code of Ethics stems from the content learned from the lecture, as well as Mike Monteiro’s Code of Ethics. Typically, when you design something, you don’t think of the negatives or consequences of making a design; therefore, I made this in hopes to utilize my own Code of Ethics for the rest of my design career at DAAP.
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ONE: Designers are human beings
We are human. We make mistakes. We need to embrace our mistakes, because ultimately, our failures lead us to greater success. Additionally, we live in this big world full of people. It’s time to connect with others and allow them to help us on our journey.
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow.”
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TWO: Functionality over Aesthetics
It is important to note as a designer, that the work you are making must be functional, rather than just look “nice” to the viewer. You must make sure that you are meeting the needs and expectations of the assignment/client before you make a “pretty” design. In order to accomplish this, use the technique of M.E.E.L.S.
“Designer turns daily common objects to sexy and interesting stuff but not necessarily functional.”
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THREE: Before you act, you must understand
Designs should be intentional. You must have a reason behind every aspect of your design. You cannot just create something with no reason behind it. It should be understood what you want to create before it is made. It is important to research first and understand the purpose and needs of a design.
“Knowing is not understanding. There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something and not really understand it.”
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FOUR: Feedback is key
Designers need to welcome criticism. In order to grow, we need to learn and accept feedback from others. It is significant to do user testing in order to gain perspectives from others. If you are creating a universal design, then it is essential to have your design evaluated by people of all kinds. We are designing for the people, therefore, their feedback is a gift.
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.”
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FIVE: Research is your friend
Research is there for a reason. For it to be used. As designers, we should recognize past designs and learn from them. We should use user research to guide us to success. In order to define the problem, it is also important to research the design subject. Every design being made should have research behind it.
“No research is ever quite complete. It is the glory of a good bit of work that it opens the way for something still better, and this repeatedly leads to its own eclipse.”
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REFERENCES:
“49 Best Quotes on Feedback.” Cognology, 11 Jan. 2019, www.cognology.com.au/49-best-quotes-on-feedback/.
“Functionality Quotes (7 Quotes).” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/functionality.
Monterio, Mike. “A Designer’s Code of Ethics.” Mule, muledesign.com/2017/07/a-designers-code-of-ethics.
“Quotes About Making Mistakes.” Ellevate, Ellevate, 29 Aug. 2019, www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/7716-quotes-about-making-mistakes.
Trischler, DJ. “TDC Code of Ethics v1.0.” Trischler Design Co., Trischler Design Co., 5 Oct. 2019, www.trischlerdesign.com/blog/2019/code-of-ethics-v1.
“{{Meta.title}}.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, www.forbes.com/quotes/theme/research/.
UCD Lectures