Design Ethics

A search for "ethics" among newspaper and magazine articles or through any search engine will yield a mountain of results, ranging from "to-do" and "not-to-do" lists for ethical behavior, to an entire discourse related to every imaginable profession. With such a volume of material out there, it would stand to reason that ethics are not much of a debate anymore. Time and again we have seen the consequences of unethical behavior at a personal, corporate, and even national level. Case studies expound the virtues of ethical managers and CEOs. Our country has always been known for offering aid to the poor and those in need. So why do we still churn out articles every day discussing ethics? Why are the disappointing ethics of so many government officials, corporate officers, and even college coaches in the news day-in and day-out?


The word "ethics" is defined as:
1. a system of moral principles:
2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.:
3. a social, religious, or civil code of behaviour considered correct, esp that of a particular group,profession, or individual (World English Dictionary).


Notice a few key words here: "particular" and "considered." Ethics vary from one "particular" person to the next, from one "particular" profession to the next, from one "particular" nation to the next, etc. These are also behaviors that are merely "considered" correct. There is no process for determining a group's ethics, voting on them, or even enforcing them in most situations. Ethics create enough gray area to cover the entire world in a fog, which is why we read about ethics so much and still have so many people that seem to be making unethical decisions. 


At the heart of every decision concerning one's ethics, is a trade-off. "Am I willing to sacrifice this for that?" That means that ethics are a very personal matter and are a result of one's upbringing, experiences, and decision-making processes. Knowing this, I was particularly drawn to Milton Glaser's 7th point in "This is what I have learned." How you live changes your brain. Every seemingly insignificant experience in our life affects our decision making, even if only on a subconscious level. Choosing whether or not to work with a certain client, which projects to pursue, how to charge for your services, and what you do during your spare time are all decisions reached with the help of your life experiences and the examples before you. All is not lost, however, just because ethics are a personal matter. In business, strong ethics must start at the top - with the company's leadership. Defining a policy (concerning ethics) in writing, make that policy available and visible to all employees, making all contituents (clients, contractors, etc) aware of that policy, and then determining rewards and consequences in relation to the policy will create a corporate culture that can help eliminate ethical dilemmas. Constituents will be aware of your firm's boundaries from day one, employees will be less tempted to consider unethical decisions but will be empowered to make the right choices for the company. If a dilemma does crop up for any employee, such a public stance on ethics within the company will encourage the employee to consult leadership rather than struggling alone with the decision.


Because design is a service profession and designers serve as intermediaries between clients and users, ethical dilemmas are incredibly multifaceted. Paul Nini's "In Search of Ethics in Graphic Design" makes a good case for ethical decision-making where the end audience is concerned. Nini believes that design's greatest ethical failure is not routinely including users in the design process. Much has changed since the article's publication date (2004), so I'm not sure that I can still say I entirely agree with Nini, but it is an issue that requires constant attention rather than a one-time fix. What was disappointing however, was the vague bulleted list in the article's conclusion that outlined a designer's responsibility. These bullets are something I have been taught from day one. And I can honestly say that I have never been confronted with a project or situation when any of these issues were even a question. 


Regardless of the facet of the design profession in which one experiences an ethical dilemma - be it in client relations or responsibility to the audience - designers young and old would be better served to carefully consider the three questions that business students learn:
1. Is it legal? (If the answer is no, then there should be no "dilemma".)
2. Is it balanced? (Who will be affected, and will one party benefit greatly while another suffers?)
3. How will it make me feel about myself? (Would you be ashamed to tell your mother about your decision, or post it to Facebook or Twitter?)