Design standards, big data, artificial intelligence, and Dribbble are all ignoring the same big question: how is the designer affecting what’s being designed? We talk about human-centered design and design research, but keeping an end user in mind does little to mitigate unconscious bias along the design process. What’s worse is we’ve created a vacuum where these biases fuel standards of practice, algorithms for machine insight, and digital ways of experiencing the world.

In this workshop, we’ll explore how designed products reflect pressing societal issues as well as design’s responsibility in shaping society. We’ll look at how design is influenced by capitalism and its role in global power, or digital colonialism. Lastly, we’ll try to find parallels to government, medicine, engineering, and literature in hopes of crafting a code of ethics that strikes the right balance of utility and artistry for digital design at scale.

Facilitator: David Schwartz

David Schwartz is launching an argodesign studio in New York focused on social impact and our East Coast clients. He leads creative programs in design, research, and strategy. In 2015, he was listed among the world’s top designers in a Fast Company article. David has spoken, led workshops, and taught at General Assembly, Austin Center 4 Design, SXSW Eco, Texas Anthropology Summit, Association for Community Design, Social Good Summit, and TEDx. His work or ideas have been published in New York Magazine, How Design, Makeshift Magazine, Impact Design Hub, FastCo Design, and MIT Tech Review. Previously, he worked at IBM Design on Watson from which he holds design patents and IP publications. On the side, David is an avid traveler and writer.