Designing for Good

Community Thoughts on Designing for Good...

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   Star Spangled Geeks by Steven Levy via Backchannel “Using talent recruited on the basis of patriotism and the promise of impactful work, USDS tries to target similar moribund projects, or problems that could be addressed by modern tech practices, and produce stuff that works, at a fraction of the traditional cost.”

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   Fixing Discrimination in Online Marketplaces by Ray Fismanand Michael Luca via Harvard Business Review “Even companies with the best of intentions may not choose the best approach to fighting discrimination, because, to our knowledge, no system exists for thinking through the available design choices and their implications. Our aim in what follows is to offer a framework for companies that want to design and manage a thriving marketplace while minimizing the risk of discrimination.”

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   Why Socially Responsible Design is Good for Business by Charlotte Cramer via HOW Design “Instead of a couple of one-off activities, businesses can opt for a series of activities throughout the year which aim to demonstrate the company’s commitment to improving the world we live and work in. One example could be organizing a hack-for-good in which products are created rapidly to serve the needs of a local non-profit organization’s audience. Other activities could include attending social innovation events or designing a social-impact Christmas campaign in place of client gifts.”

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   A Board Game Designed to Help Autistic Adults Make Friends by Katharine Schwab via Fast Co.Design “That’s where Me, Myself, and You (MMY for short) comes in. It’s a conversation- and activity-based board game designed specifically for adults with autism. By providing an easily understood structure for socializing, the game enables individuals on the spectrum to share their passions and preferences and learn about others at the same time, helping them make connections in their peer group.”

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   Design for Real Life by Eric Meyer & Sara Wachter-Boettcher via A Book Apart “Join Sara Wachter-Boettcher and Eric Meyer as they turn examples from more than a dozen sites and services into a set of principles you can apply right now. Whether you’re a designer, developer, content strategist, or anyone who creates user experiences, you’ll gain the practical knowledge to test where your designs might fail (before you ship!), vet new features or interactions against more realistic scenarios, and build a business case for making decisions through a lens of kindness.”