One Design Rule to Rule Them All: Towards a Universal Golden Rule for Designers of Human-Technology Interaction

Abstract

The aim of this article is to raise awareness and discussion of the ethical aspects of the human-technology design of socio-technical systems in general, as well as the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) designer responsibility towards users, stakeholders, and society. The dark side of HCI design is rising and the HCI community must respond to it in order to maintain its credibility and legitimacy. This article identifies and discusses four dimensions in human-technology interaction design ethics. To sum up these ethical dimensions of design and the responsibilities of a designer, this position article concludes with a proposed universal golden rule for designing human-technology interactions: Design as easy to use, honest, sustainable, and safe human-technology interactions as you would want others to design for you.