Intention-setting with reflexivity and introspection: a driving force of more ethical design practice
Authors
Podobas, Julia Maria ; Mezei, Réka Sára
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2023
Submitted on
2023-05-25
Abstract
This thesis examines how ethics is handled in design, and what individual and collective responsibility mean in everyday practice. Although ethics is widely discussed, it often guides decisions only as a “gut feeling.” The thesis argues that treating ethics as explicit and intentional can help designers make more conscious choices and, in turn, support more sustainable solutions. To make this practical, the work highlights three habits that can anchor ethically led processes: bias awareness (noticing hidden assumptions that shape choices), reflexivity (examining one’s role, power and impact in a situation), and introspection (personal reflection on values and motivations). Rather than judging methods or outcomes as simply “right” or “wrong,” it proposes a context‑sensitive approach that asks what is appropriate and responsible in each case. Throughout the project, the author engaged with several professionals to gather diverse perspectives on ethics in design. Based on these insights, the thesis develops a practical intention‑setting activity in the form of a design workshop. This activity is intended to help service design practitioners—and others—build deliberate ethical reflection into their projects and grow as more responsible, ethically driven professionals.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan etik håndteres i design, og hvad individuelt og kollektivt ansvar betyder i hverdagspraksis. Selvom etik diskuteres flittigt, styrer den ofte beslutninger som en “mavefornemmelse”. Specialet argumenterer for, at når etik gøres eksplicit og intentionel, kan designere træffe mere bevidste valg og dermed understøtte mere bæredygtige løsninger. For at gøre dette praktisk fremhæver arbejdet tre vaner, der kan forankre etisk ledede processer: bias‑bevidsthed (at opdage skjulte antagelser, der præger valg), refleksivitet (at undersøge sin egen rolle, magt og påvirkning i en situation) og introspektion (personlig eftertanke om værdier og motivationer). I stedet for at stemple metoder eller resultater som “rigtige” eller “forkerte” foreslås en kontekstsensitiv tilgang, der spørger, hvad der er passende og ansvarligt i den enkelte sag. Gennem projektet indgik forfatteren i dialog med flere fagfolk for at samle forskellige perspektiver på etik i design. På baggrund af disse indsigter udvikles en intentionafklarende aktivitet i form af en designworkshop. Aktiviteten skal hjælpe praktikere inden for service design—og andre—med at indarbejde bevidst etisk refleksion i deres projekter og udvikle sig som mere ansvarlige, etisk drevne fagfolk.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords
Other projects by the authors