What is Design Consciousness?

First of all, let’s understand what consciousness means. If we look at the dictionary definition, according to Merriam-Webster, consciousness means the quality or state of being aware, especially of something within oneself. It also refers to the state or fact of being conscious of an external object, state, or fact. The use of the term ‘Design Consciousness’ in the title of the article reflects the pressing need to consider an ethical and socially responsible approach when developing and implementing artificial intelligence (AI). We recognize that AI has significant potential to transform various aspects of our everyday lives positively. However, this transformation must be conducted with a design consciousness that takes into account not only technical effectiveness but also the social, ethical, and moral impacts of its applications.

The concept of Design Consciousness has been widely used over time, referring to a design approach that considers the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of its creations, to offer more sustainable and responsible solutions. This approach has gained greater relevance in recent years as society increasingly prioritizes sustainability. The primary goal of this approach is to raise awareness about how design and technology influence the world around us.

According to Neil Goldberg, design is a social action and should be transformed into a creative process of full participation, deeply rooted in culture. In other words, we need to go beyond mere aesthetics, as design is often seen, and consider the cultural roots of our society when we design. Design consciousness comes as an approach to ensure that everything we build around us, including technologies, tools, homes, and devices, is shaped to adapt to our evolution in body, mind, and spirit. It is crucial to understand that Artificial Intelligence (AI) does not exist in a vacuum; it is an integral part of our society and has a significant impact on it. It is essential to make AI more transparent and trustworthy because, so far, AI has often been treated as a black box, where even its creators are not entirely sure about the implications of this technology. We must not delude ourselves into believing that the widespread adoption of AI will not bring about social problems. We must be vigilant about potential negative impacts, such as mass unemployment, algorithmic bias, and loss of privacy, among others. Therefore, it is essential to adopt a conscious approach that recognizes both the benefits and risks associated with AI.

I advocate for this approach because I believe that it enables us to build more responsible AI. Similarly, in the past, scientists, designers, cognitive psychologists, and human factors specialists came together to establish Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) as a field that defined how human-computer interaction should occur, through rules and guidelines on how to build user interfaces considering the needs and constraints of people first. This same approach should be adopted in the construction of AI. It is our responsibility, as experts in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), to lead in defining guidelines on how this technology should be built.

Therefore, technology professionals involved in the development of artificial intelligence solutions must have class consciousness and consider not only the opportunities for radical innovation but also the social and ethical impacts of these technologies. We need to pursue innovation of meanings, a concept much debated by Verganti (2009) in his book “Design-Driven Innovation.” This approach of innovation of meanings, applied to the context of artificial intelligence, could create solutions that go beyond merely automating tasks but create new meanings and possibilities for people. We must truly place people at the center of the construction processes of these technologies and incorporate in ourselves, design, product, and software development professionals, the principles of Human-Centered Design, as defined and advocated by Klaus Krippendorff in the past.

As technology professionals, we should seek solutions that promote human well-being and protect the rights and privacy of individuals while minimizing negative impacts, including mass unemployment, instead of maximizing efficiency. This is because, if we look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, efficiency is not a human need but rather an organizational one. Therefore, our focus should be on developing technologies that not only enhance efficiency but also prioritize the fulfillment of human needs and values, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable society.

In this context, I’m sharing the principles of design consciousness, inspired by the Centre for Conscious Design — a global collective that advocates for creating healthy built environments.