Understanding the impact, consequences and possibilities of interaction design
“We now know design and technology has the power to change the world, indeed it already has, the question we must now ask ourselves is what kind of world do we want? Is it one of inequity, fear, isolation and filter bubbles? Or can we imagine a world that is just, fair and equitable not just for those in our socio-economic group, but for everyone?”
Aynne Valencia describes herself as “an early-days web designer and developer. “ In 1996, she attended her first Computer Human Interaction conference and realized that design was not just about making things visually attractive, but usable and easy to understand. A notable shift in her career happened after visiting Bruce Mau’s Massive Change exhibition in Vancouver.
“It’s when I truly understood the bigger picture. The unintended consequences of design, and its overall impact on society, the environment, economy and culture.”
It’s no wonder that Aynne recently took on a new role as Director of Design for the City and County of San Francisco. Her charter is to create physical and digital experiences that residents will use every day, leading a team of service designers, design researchers, visual designers, accessibility experts, prototypers and UX designers. Her team is on a mission to create accessible, equitable and scalable experiences for the residents and businesses in San Francisco with the hope to create a design system that can be used by others in government eventually.
She sees the role as an opportunity to bring her expertise to bear on the pressing issues facing society. “I want to make democratic and equitable systems the norm. Mindful and responsible design can change the world for the better, but when we are focused on the wrong incentives and don’t look at the larger implications of the things we make, we risk creating accidental monsters.”
Aynne hasn’t let go of her love for bringing up the next generation, either. Formerly Chair of the Interaction Design program at California College of the Arts, she’s now teaching in the program that she helped scale and revamp. In the past, she’s served as co- local IxDA leader in the San Francisco chapter for five years.
“I believe we all want to do good in the world, but we must always be thinking through all the possible and negative ways one might use or misuse what we design. We are creating the systems that will impact the world for decades to come. We must always be aware of that privilege and remember to be responsible. We can make whatever we want, so let’s make it a better world for everyone, not just ourselves.”
Learn more about Aynne’s work on her website or follow her Twitter.
