Bridging Digital Design and Societal Good: Creating an Ethical Framework in UX

Our digital spaces are evolving our sense of self, our personal perspective, and becoming the primary path in how we interact, make decisions, and perceive the world around us. As UX professionals, technologists, and creators, it’s time we recognize a need for an method or framework that goes beyond functionality and aesthetics to address societal good of the products and platforms we collectively build. 

Much like accessibility guidelines, this framework could build out to an “Ethical Score” for platforms and products that reflect their trustworthiness, societal impact, and long-term value to continuing social good while preserving our individual personalities. The purpose of such a framework isn’t just to create “user-friendly” experiences, but to foster digital spaces that are transparent, community-focused, and respectful of our shared values. 

And this is the right time to navigate the landscape and map out pathways for success.  IN the near future, as LLM-AI augmented technology advances, so too do the ethical challenges it brings. Stepping off the current treadmill of digital platforms that prioritize engagement metrics over the collective well-being of their users.

Increasingly, people feel disconnected from a common moral ground—traditional societal landmarks like community gatherings, mainstream media, and local institutions no longer hold the same unifying power they once did. The technology available today can help shortcut the process, all we have to do is connect the tools. 

And it’s not an unfounded concept. This idea has already been founded in the experiences and discussions around projects like city / public works upgrades. Every city has civil projects that are real-world examples, ones that brings to light questions of long-term community benefit versus immediate financial burden. 

And just as public projects face scrutiny over their transparency and societal value, digital platforms should also be evaluated through a similar ethical lens. How do our designs impact online communities at large? Are interaction decisions being made to promote engagement, or fostering connections? Are we making choices that benefit all users, including those most vulnerable, or are we simply focusing on short-term gains? 

The Ethical Trifecta: Transparency, Community Value, and Responsible Choice

Building an ethical framework in UX starts with three core principles:

1. Transparent Information: Just as users should understand the full scope of a city project before funding it, digital users deserve clear, digestible information about the tools and services they’re using. Transparency builds trust, and trust leads to engagement that’s grounded in respect, not manipulation.
2. Community Impact: Ethical UX design considers the broader societal implications of a product, not just its profit potential. Platforms that foster inclusive, constructive interactions help to rebuild the fractured trust in digital spaces and encourage users to engage meaningfully.
3. Responsible Decision-Making: Finally, design should empower users to make choices that benefit them in the long run, free from coercive “dark patterns.” When we encourage thoughtful actions, we create a user experience that respects agency and supports users’ long-term goals.

Why Now? A Call to Establish Digital Landmarks for Ethical Standards

Imagine a world where ethical practices are as visible and measurable as usability standards—a world where users can make informed choices based on a platform’s ethical rating. 

In todays’ (2024) social climate, the timing couldn’t be more crucial. Social media, news sites, and even e-commerce platforms have become our new “public spaces,” but without ethical standards to guide them, they often fall short of serving the public good. 

Just as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) transformed digital inclusivity, we have an opportunity to create a similar framework for ethical design. Following along WCAG's valuable blueprint: what began as general principles (like "perceivable" and "operable") developed into specific, testable criteria that revolutionized how we approach web accessibility. Each WCAG criterion comes with clear success metrics, making it possible to evaluate and improve digital experiences systematically.

Similarly, an ethical framework could transform abstract concepts like "transparency" into concrete, measurable standards. For instance, just as WCAG requires alt text for images, an ethical framework might require clear disclosure of AI-generated content or data collection practices with specific criteria for what constitutes "clear disclosure." Or consider how WCAG's colour contrast requirements evolved from a general "make text readable" principle to specific ratios that designers can measure. 

From the start, implementing an ethical score may feel ambitious, but WCAG has shown us that systematic change is both necessary and possible. A set of ethical experience practices would serve as a beacon, encouraging designers, developers, and business owners to prioritize the collective good. Through this score, we can guide our digital spaces toward a future where integrity and trust are the norm, not the exception.

Moving Forward: An Opportunity for Collective Good

In articles here on Humanjava.com , I’ll work with ChatGPT, ClaudeAI, Grok and various other LLM AI Agents to explore specific ways that UX professionals, organizations, and communities can begin building toward this vision. With insights that enable actionable insights through small, practical changes in design processes. And work towards a series of decision tools for broader, industry-wide discussions that aim to set these standards. 

But let’s not end the conversation here, continue the discussion wherever it feels right. Bring your perspective or counterpoints to the conversation.  Use #EthicalUX or feel free to tag me @vveerrgg => (@X or @Nostr) as you’re discussing and exploring the intellectual landscape. Together, we can reshape the digital landscape, turning our online public spaces into a place that aligns with inclusive to personal values and fosters a genuine sense of community and respect.

*Post-note: This article emerged from a series of collaborative discussions with LLM AI Agents, including ChatGPT and Claude, during October 2024. It represents an exploration of the social climate on @X and ways to foster free speech while reducing spiteful/hateful rhetoric.*