Ethics for Designers 13/02/23

We make choices about values and ethics

• There will never be agreement about ethical ideas, moral standards and their consequences

• It can get 'preachy' and 'holier than you' to talk about your ethics

• Creative people tend to be motivated by values and a sense of purpose

Ethical philosophy

• Find useful signposts from ethics to help with design

Virtue ethics

• Classical virtues - justice, courage, temperance and prudence

• Theological virtues - faith, hope, charity and love

• Modern virtues - humanity, simplicity, honesty, compassion and respect

These are held up as those which are good at shaping one's conduct and actions - the things we are taught as young children.

Social contract ethics

- Externally agreed standards of behaviour

- Statutory law, civil law, common law

• Legal precedents determined over years that demarcated right from wrong

• We stick to them so not to get into trouble even if we don't agree

• There are consequences for breaking these such as fines, prison etc.

- Professional code of practice

eg. Medical ethics - corporate social responsibility

- Broader social contract

- As a designer we feel a sense of good practice regardless of if it's illegal or not

• There is no written code of practice for designers

Emotivism

• Emotional rather than logical responses

• Flow from feelings rather than logical argument

Pragmatism

• What actually happens in practice rather than upon the search for the universal of being 'right' and 'good'

• Thinking about the 'why' and 'if' of what we do

• Looking at the consequences of actions

• Ethical assessment changes as consequences become apparent

The expansion of care

• Expansion = broadening out

• Personal capacity of being 'good'

• Social capacity for doing right by others

• Creative capacity for developing new ways of interacting within the broader context

• New ways to integrate within the natural world

Design practice should be clear and self reflective

• For our self

• For others

• Towards broader social responsibility

• Towards caution principle (consequences of action

Ourself - flourishing = becoming more than we are at the moment

Other people - having relationships from emotional intelligence

Animals - different views on this

• Animals are resources for humans

• Animals are emotionally intelligent like humans

It is a symbolic marker of how ethical we are as a society

Nature as a whole - 'rights' of nature

• We need a more careful approach to nature

• People will have different ethics on this

Applied ethics

Does design have the purpose to:

• Explore human needs, emotions, meanings, pleasures, pains

• Give voice to the real lives and felt experiences of people, as they live their lives

• Inspire humanity through design, art, film, music and literature to feel their common human heritage and act accordingly

• Is it necessary for designers to develop a particular ethical debate within itself for itself?

• Can the specific nature of design work contribute something distinctive to the expansion of care?

• What is it, if anything that the designer can teach the philosopher about the relationships between reason and emotion; between the human spirit and logic; between freedom and responsibility?

What does it mean for me for ethics within design?

ie. Vapes - meant to be good for adults to quit smoking, however, have become very popular with a young audience

What would I do if asked to design advertising/ packaging which aims the vapes towards a young audience?

If I had sufficient income where I could turn this project down without worrying about paying bills/ feeding myself and my family then yes, I would turn it down. However, my family would come first and if this meant going against my ethics I think there would be a certain extent that I would go to.

Has this changed my manifesto?

'Be Valuable - add to the world to provide something that is needed'

Although this is an important quote in my manifesto I think there is more to this. design doesn't have to provide something that is needed but could also create a need for something that has not been thought of before such as the iPhone.

Therefore I would change this line in my manifesto to:

'Be Valuable - add to the world to provide something that is beneficial and/or desired.'

An example would include the pet portraits I create. There is no need for a customer to have this painting; they have the photos of their beloved pets however they have the desire to have something 'more special' to remember their pets by.

What is a design proposal? 10/02/23

-Module handbook-

• Project cover page and table of contents

• Project overview

• Project scope

• - objectives and goals

• - timeline

• - Resources

• Project terms and conditions

• Measuring success

Cover page and Table of contents

• Stylish but simple front cover

• Chronological index of the different sections within project proposal (on new page)

• Cover page is simple, clear and crisp, giving first impression of design proposal

• Use your design skills

• Visually be reflected in design proposal

Project overview

• Summarise the project and how you will achieve project goals

• Contextualize using background research and other completed modules

• Define your design project

• Make it clear - not ambiguous

• Once overview is completed you can convert these to goals and objectives that are quantifiable

Project plan

• Provide specific project details

• Timelines

• Goals

• Deliverables

• Resources

• Is a blueprint of the key elements you need in order to achieve your project goals and objectives

• Plan to create project objectives before working on project plan

• Objectives will drive other elements of your project plan - like deliverables

• Write project objectives - share with tutors and discuss project plan

Objectives and goals

• Goals are higher level than objectives

• What happens once design project is successful

• Project objectives are more detailed and specific than project goals

• - more focused on actual, specific deliverables at the end of the project

• Objectives

  • plan to achieve by end of project

  • basic requirements and outcomes subject to realistic constraints

  • objectives should be attainable, time bound, specific goals you can measure

• Measurable ways to evaluate your success at end of project

• List objectives in order of importance

• Clear project objectives help you know where project is going

• Clear project objectives = show if project has succeeded or failed

• Use SMART methodology

• - Specific

• - Measurable

• - Achievable

• - Realistic

• - Time bound

Specific

• Make sure goals are specific to what you want to work on in your major project

Measurable

• Evaluate the success or failure of your project

• Goals should have some sort of objective way to measure them

• - This could be by deadlines and benchmarks

Achievable

• You don't want your goals to be easy to achieve

• But you want goals to be achievable

• They shouldn't be totally outside the realm of possibility

• Is the goal within your design project scope

Realistic

• It needs to be realistic as well as achievable such as timeframe and budget

Time bound

• Should have an end date

• Have a timeline with this date clearly set

Timeline

• Create a timeline for project

• Individual timelines for each task

• Explain methodology of work

Resources

• Highlight resources needed for delivering the project

• List of resources

• Highlight factors that will impact the price of your project

Terms and conditions

• Mention any terms and conditions you feel are relevant

• Intellectual property

Measuring success

• How will you measure the success of your project?

• Do not be vague and undefined

What is a design proposal? 09/02/23

How would you start writing your design proposal?

Context

Aims

• What are the aims of my project?

• Bullet points

Objectives

• Why I'm going to do it

• What I'm going to do

• How I'm going to do it

Outputs

• The number of things I'm going to do

• Daily/ weekly/ monthly things these are going to deliver

Outcomes

• What comes from outputs

• Timeframe

• Budget

-Activity-

Start writing a design proposal

I am going to design the branding and packaging design for my clients (friends) alcoholic beverage business.

This company currently doesn't have a brand identity. They want to first start making vodka before moving on to make gins. I will create a packaging design and logo which fits with these different products.

Aims

• Vodka bottle and packaging design

• Gin bottle and packaging design

• Advertising poster for beverage

• Logo for business

• Work with clients to produce a product they are happy with

Objectives

I am going to show my graphic and product design skills, to create the bottle and packaging design as well as logo and advertising.

This will create a good product for my friends' alcoholic beverage business to start up.

I'm going to do this by interacting with my client and communicating with them to find out what they want as well as researching what products are already out there.

Outputs

• A drinks bottle with packaging design

• Advertising for product

• A logo and brand identity

Outcome

• Time frame - logo first so they can start advertising whilst the drink is under construction

• - use to create the bottle theme

• Drinks taste/ texture etc. Is developed = packaging and bottle design can be developed

• Advertising starts after the drink is developed

• Budget - unknown

• Different potential designs done and bottle design can be simplified if necessary