Throughout all design practices, there are ethical codes and rules which designers should consider when creating a product. These ethics can vary from region to region but there are clear negative impacts when designers do not consider the effects of their designs on consumers. Ethics question morality and how products are designed due to the changing attitude in the modern world, and it is important for designers to create products which are not deemed to be morally conflicting.
In recent years, there has been a push for “Value sensitive design” (4TU. Centre of Ethics and technology) this generally refers to technology but it focuses on maintaining social and moral values throughout the design process.
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Figure 1 Iranian asylum seeker: The Mirror
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One aspect which illustrates the ignorance through design which then has a negative ethical effect on the consumers is the G4S refugee and asylum seekers housing scandal in Middlesbrough England. “Home Office has launched an investigation into the housing of asylum seekers in the north-east of England after claims that they are identifiable by their red doors.” (Gradian 2016)
Video 1 migrant crisis: Channel 4
This case study illustrates a situation where housing has been allocated for the asylum seekers, but the company allocated with the contract has allegedly, placed them in housing with red doors. This raises the questions, did the company (GS4) purposely want to highlight who lives in those houses? By making the homes conspicuous it leaves the users vulnerable to prejudice, discrimination and persecution, the designers were creating a social stigma in the community. Although GS4 has denied having a policy directly targeting the asylum seekers, it does leave to question if there was a clear oversite during the design process, to the consequence of accentuating the houses in this manner. “Jomast and G4S, which have a contractual duty to “recognise that the safety and security of [asylum seekers] must not be jeopardised” (Gradian 2016) This highlights that the contractors had a responsibility to ensure the safety of the consumers, and this is true in other design practices, where designers are now making more user centred designs, and strive to create “responsive cohesion” ( Antony Radford 2010) in their designs.
 Figure 2 User Centred design: Priority design |
“The organisation Designers Accord believes that the creative community has a responsibility as a social and cultural force to create positive impact and support environmental social justice issues.” (Eileen MacAvery Kane n.d) this is where we see designers taking a forward step and actively solving issues in the world. Designers can feel that they have a moral duty to help, and this has spawned projects like “What design can do” or the emergency temporary shelter projects in Niger by Better Shelter.
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Figure 3 Photographer: Better shelter
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The evidence presented in this assignment has shown that ethics in design can be approached in different ways and it is important in creating a susses full product which can be deemed to be morally accepted, furthermore it is important for designers to be conscious in what effects their products will have on their consumers.
Image List
Figure 1…… Iranian asylum seeker: The Mirror
Figure2…… User Centred design: Priority design
Figure 3…… Photographer: Better shelter
Bibliography
4TU.CENTER FOR ETHICS AND TECHNOLOGY (n.d) Value sensitive design. [Online] 4tu.center for ethics and technology. Available from: http://ethicsandtechnology.eu/knowledge-transfer/value-sensitive-design/ [Accessed 12/02/2017].
CHANNEL 4 (2016) Migrant crisis: Refugees face racism behind red door. [Online film] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ7da15wV6A [Accessed From 12/02/2016]
KANE, E.M (n.d) Responsibility [Online] Ethics in graphic design. Available from: http://www.ethicsingraphicdesign.org/integrity/responsibility-to-the-client/ [Accessed 12/02/2017]
MASON, R. PIDD, H. KHOMAMI, N. (2016) Asylum seekers in north-east claim they are identifiable by red doors. The Guardian, 20th Jan. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/20/asylum-seekers-north-east-claim-identifiable-red-doors-houses [Accessed 12/02/2017].
MIRROR (2016) Iranian asylum seeker front door. [Online Image] Available from: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/private-firm-g4s-shouldnt-allowed-7212235 [Accessed 12/02/2017].
PRIORITY DESIGN (n.d) User Centred design diagram. [online image] available from: http://www.prioritydesigns.com/services/design/industrial-design-services-overview/ [Accessed 12/02/2017]
RADFORD, A. (2010) Issue 4: Building ethics: Theories and practices. Building research and information, 38 (4), pp.379-389
WHAT DESIGN CAN DO (n.d) What design can do [Online] What design can do. Available from: http://www.whatdesigncando.com/challenge/finalists/ [Accessed 12/2/2017]
