Hi Tobie,
My institute has been grappling with ethics for designers ever since we started teaching design research methods courses for undergrads in the 90s.
We used to get around ethics requirements by not allowing student projects that dealt with human subjects! Obviously that wasn't satisfactory. I think its vital for graduate designers to follow university ethics procedures, no matter that they seem bureaucratic. Its not merely about following rules. The approval process has introduced design discussions to ethics advisors - together we are building expertise on approaching design research without compromising participants. Sometimes, though, after discussing ethics procedures, students are made aware that their project isn't actually research. In my mind, its advising how to proceed with these projects that becomes the big problem.
Amanda
Dr Amanda Bill
Senior Lecturer
Institute of Design for Industry and Environment
College of Creative Arts
Massey University, Wellington
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From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tobie Kerridge [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, 13 April 2010 1:43 a.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Ethics of speculative design
hi,
In my thesis I'm writing about speculative forms of design. I don't mean unpaid client pitches, rather a form of product design where hypothetical design is exhibited and disseminated in other public settings.
In the previous 2 years I've been helping lead a brief with postgraduate design students with a focus on speculative design as a form of public engagement with science and technology, and we have had some interesting situations:
- A student filmed themself letting blood from their arm into an instrument, and then brought the instrument into the crit, with the needle still attached.
- A scientist was filmed, then the interview was used without consent, causing some problems.
- Students have worked with patients and patient groups, and then represent individuals or groups in their work in unexpected ways.
Additionally students frequently blur fictional accounts with claims of truth. Individuals are consulted initially, then the work takes a turn, and there is little or no attribution or care to separate subsequent material from the initial research. Scientific research, or policy documents, or market research, or literary fiction are used as sources, with no attribution.
I am undoubtedly guilty of most of these things at some stage (though not the blood-letting). I also feel that we should be encouraging students of this form of design to work independently, and to encourage them to take risks. I would hate to crush these problematic approaches with some form of design bureaucracy.
But there surely is some place here for a form of ethics for designers, as they increasingly move into the territories of other disciplines with different expectations, and simultaneously become more sophisticated at promoting and circulating their work to broader audiences.
Does anyone have any thoughts on these issues? Have you any references for accounts of similar situations?
best wishes,
Tobie Kerridge
Tobie Kerridge
PhD candidate
Interaction Research Studio
Department of Design
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
London SE14 6NW
T: +44 (0)20 7078 5183
F: +44 (0)20 7919 7783
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