A personal reflection on responsibility and consequences of design

This assignment has been created during the admission procedure for the master programme of Interaction Design at Umeå Institute of Design (UID). Talking about personal reflection of on the responsibility and consequences of design under current global crisis. Time: 03/2020

As designers, we need to see our role as a part engaging in this global change. It requires new responsibility to think more systematically, from solving the current issues to help develop the future society.

When the outbreak started in China, I felt sometimes disappointed because there are certain issues about social structure or systems, where we cannot do much of it. But during this epidemic, I saw the values of those solutions to help people better adapting or living under current conditions. One interesting creation during this time in China is a platform to build connections between the hospitals and the restaurants, which addressed the eating problem of doctors at work. In that case, the role of designers is more like a bridge. We focus on the people who are at the core of this historical event, and those design we make may help to accelerate the activities that relating to future societal or industrial revolution.

And looking inside, it is each individual builds up this social environment, so the results to people also matter. User-centered approach is really good at taking care of its target users, really. However, sometimes it fails to include the people who are not part of the design. For example, the indirect stakeholders.

Apparently, design each single aspect is hard, but we have to consider these complex contexts in which our products or design exist. Just like no nation could manage alone from a global crisis, all the responsibilities and consequences of design are following the rule — “ from cradle to cradle ”.