Tool

The Digital Ethics Compass:
Put the Human at the Center

Put the human at the center

Get smarter – what is it?

If you only need to remember one thing about ethical digital design, it is to put humans at the center. It sounds simplistic, but often the human being, whom it’s all for, can slip into the background when designing digital solutions. Remember the human, and remember that humans are not just abstract persons, but living beings of flesh and blood – just like yourself. And remember that the human in this situation is not only your users or customers but all those who may be affected by your digital solution.

An example

You are in the process of developing an app to help people exercise more. You have developed personas and tested your app on the core target group. You have applied all the principles of user-driven design. But have you remembered to involve people with disabilities who also want to exercise but who have difficulty with many traditional exercises? And have you thought of the future consequences? Can situations arise where people overconsume your product and get sick from exercising too much? And have you ensured that users have control over their data? In other words: Did you remember to put the human in the center?