The moral compass of design
Digital design affects peoples lives, for better or worse, intentional or not. It’s part of a huge array of industries. So why isn’t it regulated in the tech sector?
Design outside of technology
Let’s look at how design applies to medicine. Any design has to comply with regulations of that field. There is no way you could design something for a hospital that deliberately causes patients or staff to make mistakes, get frustrated or confused regardless of whether it was something physical or digital.
Similarly, move design to psychology and you’re not allowed to implement or test anything that would cause harm, stress or discomfort to people. You can’t lie to them just because it’s better for your research. You can’t trick them into consenting to it and you can’t just get a bit more info on something unrelated while they’re there. The British Psychological Society have strict ethical guidelines stating that there should be:
Respect for the autonomy, privacy and dignity of individuals and communities.
Isn’t it ironic that designers can take psychology and use it to do the opposite? Unlike many other industries, design doesn’t feel the need for regulations. It relies on the moral compass of it’s members to draw that line.
We all know that the moral line is crossed frequently.
Pop-ups, things appearing in your basket, no way back, hidden fees, relentless up-selling. Annoying, frustrating, distracting, and potentially harmful. But also perfectly acceptable by some designers standards.
At The User Story we focus on the positive. We try our best to help users out, make things clear and enjoyable. You’ll always gain more from a positive, user-friendly design than a malicious one. Unfortunately some don’t see it that way and that is why everyone has an oversized Sport’s Direct mug at home.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sure how you could regulate digital design. The internet provides a special kind of freedom, that no single body can control.
I guess what i’m saying is that if you’re using dark patterns and sleazy design, you’re a dick, and you should stop it.
