Humane by Design

Humane by Design provides guidance for designing ethically humane digital products through patterns focused on user well-being.

The rapid growth of mobile technology has ushered in an age where time and attention is an increasingly scarce resource. Instead of technology enhancing our abilities as humans, we’ve seen it become a vehicle for extracting our attention, monetizing our personal information, and exploiting our psychological vulnerabilities. As designers, we play a key role in the creation of such technology, and it’s time we take responsibility for the impact that these products and services we build are having on people it should serve.

Principles

Empowering

Empowering design ensures products center on the value they provide to people over the revenue it can generate.

Finite

Finite design maximizes the overall quality of time spent by bounding the experience and prioritizing meaningful and relevant content.

Inclusive

Inclusive design is a methodology that enables and draws on the full range of human diversity.

Resilient

Resilient design focuses on the well-being of the most vulnerable and anticipates the potential for abuse.

Respectful

Respectful design prioritizes people’s time, attention and overall digital well-being.

Intentional

Intentional design uses friction to prevent abuse, protects privacy, steers people towards healthier digital habits and considers long-term consequences over short-term gain.

Transparent

Transparent design is clear about intentions, honest in actions and free of dark patterns.

Check out Humane by Design