2024
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Gray, Colin M
Quant-Ethico: An Approach to Quantifying and Interpreting Ethical Decision Making Proceedings Article
In: Gray, Colin (Ed.): DRS2024: Boston, Design Research Society, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Research Methods
@inproceedings{Chivukula2024-sj,
title = {Quant-Ethico: An Approach to Quantifying and Interpreting Ethical Decision Making},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Colin M Gray},
editor = {Colin Gray},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.223
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024_ChivukulaGray_DRS_QuantEthico.pdf},
doi = {10.21606/drs.2024.223},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-06-01},
urldate = {2024-06-01},
booktitle = {DRS2024: Boston},
publisher = {Design Research Society},
abstract = {Design researchers have previously sought to describe, model,
and represent the cognitive processes of designers. In parallel,
researchers in HCI and STS have identified a range of frameworks
to describe the ethical and value-related char-acter of design
activity. We have identified a productive gap between these two
sets of literature—namely, the role of analytic methods in
describing ethical de-cision-making as one aspect of design
complexity. In this paper, we describe and explore an approach
for quantifying the ethical character of design decision-making,
building upon existing critical approaches from HCI and STS
literature. Through a series of visualizations at varying
temporal scales and numbers of inter-locutors, we seek to
describe the ethical complexity of design activity, grounded in
a set of ethically focused lab protocol studies. We describe the
implications of our approach for mixed methods researchers,
including the role of quantitative methods in describing
temporal aspects of ethical design complexity.},
keywords = {Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Research Methods},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
and represent the cognitive processes of designers. In parallel,
researchers in HCI and STS have identified a range of frameworks
to describe the ethical and value-related char-acter of design
activity. We have identified a productive gap between these two
sets of literature—namely, the role of analytic methods in
describing ethical de-cision-making as one aspect of design
complexity. In this paper, we describe and explore an approach
for quantifying the ethical character of design decision-making,
building upon existing critical approaches from HCI and STS
literature. Through a series of visualizations at varying
temporal scales and numbers of inter-locutors, we seek to
describe the ethical complexity of design activity, grounded in
a set of ethically focused lab protocol studies. We describe the
implications of our approach for mixed methods researchers,
including the role of quantitative methods in describing
temporal aspects of ethical design complexity.
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Gray, Colin M
Envisioning Transformation Structures to Support Ethical Mediation Practices Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Research Society, Design Research Society, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Practice
@inproceedings{Chivukula2024-dd,
title = {Envisioning Transformation Structures to Support Ethical Mediation Practices},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Colin M Gray},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.178
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_ChivukulaGray_DRS_TransformationStructures.pdf},
doi = {10.21606/drs.2024.178},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-06-01},
urldate = {2024-06-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Research Society},
publisher = {Design Research Society},
abstract = {Ethics is complex and situated, involving many stakeholders that
impact the design of technology systems. Numerous methods and
tools have been proposed to enable practitioners to address
ethical issues in the workplace. However, little work has
described how designers themselves understand and seek to
respond to that ethical complexity. In this short paper, we
present five transformation structures that visually and
relationally depict how ethics might be addressed in a workplace
setting. We base these structures on analysis of plans that 39
practitioners and students created in a co-design workshop to
address an ethical concern in their job role. We evaluated the
diagrams of these workshop plans and identified five different
types of structures that could lead to potential transformation
of ethical practices: parallel, linear, top-down, loopy, and
gordian. We identify how these transformation structures
differently inscribe expectations of ethical mediation and
action, leading to opportunities for further support of ethical
practices by practitioners.},
keywords = {Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
impact the design of technology systems. Numerous methods and
tools have been proposed to enable practitioners to address
ethical issues in the workplace. However, little work has
described how designers themselves understand and seek to
respond to that ethical complexity. In this short paper, we
present five transformation structures that visually and
relationally depict how ethics might be addressed in a workplace
setting. We base these structures on analysis of plans that 39
practitioners and students created in a co-design workshop to
address an ethical concern in their job role. We evaluated the
diagrams of these workshop plans and identified five different
types of structures that could lead to potential transformation
of ethical practices: parallel, linear, top-down, loopy, and
gordian. We identify how these transformation structures
differently inscribe expectations of ethical mediation and
action, leading to opportunities for further support of ethical
practices by practitioners.
Gray, Colin M; Obi, Ike; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Li, Ziqing; Carlock, Thomas; Will, Matthew; Pivonka, Anne C; Johns, Janna; Rigsbee, Brookley; Menon, Ambika R; Bharadwaj, Aayushi
Building an Ethics-Focused Action Plan: Roles, Process Moves, and Trajectories Proceedings Article Forthcoming
In: CHI'24: Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, Forthcoming.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Judgment, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@inproceedings{Gray2024-pt,
title = {Building an Ethics-Focused Action Plan: Roles, Process Moves, and Trajectories},
author = {Colin M Gray and Ike Obi and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Ziqing Li and Thomas Carlock and Matthew Will and Anne C Pivonka and Janna Johns and Brookley Rigsbee and Ambika R Menon and Aayushi Bharadwaj},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024_Grayetal_CHI_EthicsFocusedActionPlan.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3613904.3642302},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-05-01},
urldate = {2024-05-01},
booktitle = {CHI'24: Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human
Factors in Computing Systems},
publisher = {ACM Press},
abstract = {Design and technology practitioners are increasingly aware of
the ethical impact of their work practices, desiring tools to
support their ethical awareness across a range of contexts. In
this paper, we report on findings from a series of co-design
workshops with technology and design practitioners that
supported their creation of a bespoke ethics-focused action
plan. Using a qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis
approach, we identified a range of roles and process moves that
practitioners employed and illustrate the interplay of these
elements of practitioners' instrumental judgment through a
series of three cases, which includes evolution of the action
plan itself, the ethical dilemmas or areas of support the action
plan was intended to support, and how the action plan represents
resonance for the practitioner that created it. We conclude with
implications for supporting ethics in socio-technical practice
and opportunities for the further development of ethics-focused
methods that are resonant with the realities of practice.},
keywords = {Design Judgment, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
the ethical impact of their work practices, desiring tools to
support their ethical awareness across a range of contexts. In
this paper, we report on findings from a series of co-design
workshops with technology and design practitioners that
supported their creation of a bespoke ethics-focused action
plan. Using a qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis
approach, we identified a range of roles and process moves that
practitioners employed and illustrate the interplay of these
elements of practitioners' instrumental judgment through a
series of three cases, which includes evolution of the action
plan itself, the ethical dilemmas or areas of support the action
plan was intended to support, and how the action plan represents
resonance for the practitioner that created it. We conclude with
implications for supporting ethics in socio-technical practice
and opportunities for the further development of ethics-focused
methods that are resonant with the realities of practice.
Pivonka, Anne C; Makary, Laura; Gray, Colin M
Organizing metaphors for design methods Journal Article
In: International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2024, ISSN: 1573-1804.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy
@article{Pivonka2024-st,
title = {Organizing metaphors for design methods},
author = {Anne C Pivonka and Laura Makary and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-024-09880-y},
doi = {10.1007/s10798-024-09880-y},
issn = {1573-1804},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-02-01},
urldate = {2024-02-01},
journal = {International Journal of Technology and Design Education},
abstract = {Design students must develop competence in a wide range of areas
in order to be successful in their future practice. Increasingly,
knowledge of design methods is used to frame both a designer's
repertoire and their overall facility as a designer. However,
there is little research on how students build cognitive schema
in relation to design methods or how these schema relate to
specific patterns of engagement as developing designers. In this
paper, we report a multiple case study, capturing the experiences
of four advanced undergraduate students enrolled in a User
Experience (UX) design program at a large research-intensive
institution. Through reflexive thematic analysis on our interview
study outcomes, we describe the wide variety of metaphors that
these students used to organize and frame their understanding of
design methods, including both principles they used to consider
methods as knowledge, and the ways in which they felt these
organizing principles impacted their practice of design. We
conclude with recommendations for further research on the uptake
of methods-focused competence in design education and practice.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
in order to be successful in their future practice. Increasingly,
knowledge of design methods is used to frame both a designer's
repertoire and their overall facility as a designer. However,
there is little research on how students build cognitive schema
in relation to design methods or how these schema relate to
specific patterns of engagement as developing designers. In this
paper, we report a multiple case study, capturing the experiences
of four advanced undergraduate students enrolled in a User
Experience (UX) design program at a large research-intensive
institution. Through reflexive thematic analysis on our interview
study outcomes, we describe the wide variety of metaphors that
these students used to organize and frame their understanding of
design methods, including both principles they used to consider
methods as knowledge, and the ways in which they felt these
organizing principles impacted their practice of design. We
conclude with recommendations for further research on the uptake
of methods-focused competence in design education and practice.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Johns, Janna; Will, Matthew; Obi, Ikechukwu; Li, Ziqing
Languaging Ethics in Technology Practice Journal Article
In: Journal of Responsible Computing, 2024.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, UX Practice
@article{Gray2024-mf,
title = {Languaging Ethics in Technology Practice},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Janna Johns and Matthew Will and Ikechukwu Obi and Ziqing Li},
url = {https://colingray.me/2024_grayetal_jrc_languagingethics/},
doi = {10.1145/3656468},
year = {2024},
date = {2024-01-01},
urldate = {2024-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Responsible Computing},
abstract = {Ethics as embodied by technology practitioners resists simple
definition, particularly as it relates to the interplay of
identity, organizational, and professional complexity. In this
paper we use the linguistic notion of languaging as an analytic
lens to describe how technology and design practitioners
negotiate their conception of ethics as they reflect upon their
everyday work. We engaged twelve practitioners in individual
co-creation workshops, encouraging them to reflect on their
ethical role in their everyday work through a series of
generative and evaluative activities. We analyzed these data to
identify how each practitioner reasoned about ethics through
language and artifacts, finding that practitioners used a range
of rhetorical tropes to describe their ethical commitments and
beliefs in ways that were complex and sometimes contradictory.
Across three cases, we describe how ethics was negotiated through
language across three key zones of ecological emergence: the
practitioner's ``core'' beliefs about ethics, internal and
external ecological elements that shaped or mediated these core
beliefs, and the ultimate boundaries they reported refusing to
cross. Building on these findings, we describe how the languaging
of ethics reveals opportunities to definitionally and practically
engage with ethics in technology ethics research, practice, and
education.},
keywords = {Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Practice-Led Research, Regulation, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
definition, particularly as it relates to the interplay of
identity, organizational, and professional complexity. In this
paper we use the linguistic notion of languaging as an analytic
lens to describe how technology and design practitioners
negotiate their conception of ethics as they reflect upon their
everyday work. We engaged twelve practitioners in individual
co-creation workshops, encouraging them to reflect on their
ethical role in their everyday work through a series of
generative and evaluative activities. We analyzed these data to
identify how each practitioner reasoned about ethics through
language and artifacts, finding that practitioners used a range
of rhetorical tropes to describe their ethical commitments and
beliefs in ways that were complex and sometimes contradictory.
Across three cases, we describe how ethics was negotiated through
language across three key zones of ecological emergence: the
practitioner's ``core'' beliefs about ethics, internal and
external ecological elements that shaped or mediated these core
beliefs, and the ultimate boundaries they reported refusing to
cross. Building on these findings, we describe how the languaging
of ethics reveals opportunities to definitionally and practically
engage with ethics in technology ethics research, practice, and
education.
2023
Gray, Colin M
Instructional designers as ethical mediators Book Section
In: Moore, Stephanie L; Dousay, Tonia A (Ed.): Learning and Instructional Design Technology in the Mirror: Integrating Ethics and Social Responsibility into Research and Practice, 2023.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ethics and Values, Instructional Design
@incollection{Gray2023-bd,
title = {Instructional designers as ethical mediators},
author = {Colin M Gray},
editor = {Stephanie L Moore and Tonia A Dousay},
url = {https://edtechbooks.org/applied_ethics_idt/ethical_mediators},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-11-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Learning and Instructional Design Technology in the Mirror:
Integrating Ethics and Social Responsibility into Research and
Practice},
keywords = {Ethics and Values, Instructional Design},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Bielova, Nataliia; Mildner, Thomas
Arxiv Preprint, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation
@unpublished{Gray2023-nv,
title = {An Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge: Foundations, Definitions, and a Pathway for Shared Knowledge-Building},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nataliia Bielova and Thomas Mildner},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2309.09640},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-01},
urldate = {2023-09-01},
abstract = {Deceptive and coercive design practices are increasingly
used by companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit
consumer choice. Dark patterns represent the most common
contemporary amalgamation of these problematic practices,
connecting designers, technologists, scholars, regulators,
and legal professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue.
However, a lack of universally accepted definitions across
the academic, legislative and regulatory space has likely
limited the impact that scholarship on dark patterns might
have in supporting sanctions and evolved design practices.
In this paper, we seek to support the development of a
shared language of dark patterns, harmonizing ten existing
regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns and
proposing a three-level ontology with standardized
definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns types across
low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate how this
ontology can support translational research and regulatory
action, including pathways to extend our initial types
through new empirical work and map across application
domains.},
howpublished = {Arxiv Preprint},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {unpublished}
}
used by companies to extract profit, harvest data, and limit
consumer choice. Dark patterns represent the most common
contemporary amalgamation of these problematic practices,
connecting designers, technologists, scholars, regulators,
and legal professionals in transdisciplinary dialogue.
However, a lack of universally accepted definitions across
the academic, legislative and regulatory space has likely
limited the impact that scholarship on dark patterns might
have in supporting sanctions and evolved design practices.
In this paper, we seek to support the development of a
shared language of dark patterns, harmonizing ten existing
regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns and
proposing a three-level ontology with standardized
definitions for 65 synthesized dark patterns types across
low-, meso-, and high-level patterns. We illustrate how this
ontology can support translational research and regulatory
action, including pathways to extend our initial types
through new empirical work and map across application
domains.
Gray, Colin M; Mildner, Thomas; Bielova, Nataliia
Arxiv Preprint, 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Research Methods
@unpublished{Gray2023-bs,
title = {Temporal Analysis of Dark Patterns: A Case Study of a User's Odyssey to Conquer Prime Membership Cancellation through the "Iliad Flow"},
author = {Colin M Gray and Thomas Mildner and Nataliia Bielova},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2309.09635},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-09-01},
urldate = {2023-09-01},
abstract = {Dark patterns are ubiquitous in digital systems, impacting
users throughout their journeys on many popular apps and
websites. While substantial efforts from the research
community in the last five years have led to consolidated
taxonomies of dark patterns, including an emerging ontology,
most applications of these descriptors have been focused on
analysis of static images or as isolated pattern types. In
this paper, we present a case study of Amazon Prime's
``Iliad Flow'' to illustrate the interplay of dark patterns
across a user journey, grounded in insights from a US
Federal Trade Commission complaint against the company. We
use this case study to lay the groundwork for a methodology
of Temporal Analysis of Dark Patterns (TADP), including
considerations for characterization of individual dark
patterns across a user journey, combinatorial effects of
multiple dark patterns types, and implications for expert
detection and automated detection.},
howpublished = {Arxiv Preprint},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Regulation, Research Methods},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {unpublished}
}
users throughout their journeys on many popular apps and
websites. While substantial efforts from the research
community in the last five years have led to consolidated
taxonomies of dark patterns, including an emerging ontology,
most applications of these descriptors have been focused on
analysis of static images or as isolated pattern types. In
this paper, we present a case study of Amazon Prime's
``Iliad Flow'' to illustrate the interplay of dark patterns
across a user journey, grounded in insights from a US
Federal Trade Commission complaint against the company. We
use this case study to lay the groundwork for a methodology
of Temporal Analysis of Dark Patterns (TADP), including
considerations for characterization of individual dark
patterns across a user journey, combinatorial effects of
multiple dark patterns types, and implications for expert
detection and automated detection.
Lachheb, Ahmed; Abramenka-Lachheb, Victoria; Moore, Stephanie; Gray, Colin
The role of design ethics in maintaining students' privacy: A call to action to learning designers in higher education Journal Article
In: British journal of educational technology: journal of the Council for Educational Technology, vol. 54, iss. 6, pp. 1653-1670, 2023, ISSN: 0007-1013.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design
@article{Lachheb2023-ys,
title = {The role of design ethics in maintaining students' privacy: A call to action to learning designers in higher education},
author = {Ahmed Lachheb and Victoria Abramenka-Lachheb and Stephanie Moore and Colin Gray},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13382},
doi = {10.1111/bjet.13382},
issn = {0007-1013},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-08-01},
urldate = {2023-08-01},
journal = {British journal of educational technology: journal of the Council for Educational Technology},
volume = {54},
issue = {6},
pages = {1653-1670},
publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd},
abstract = {Maintaining students' privacy in higher education, an
integral aspect of learning design and technology integration,
is not only a matter of policy and law but also a matter of
design ethics. Similar to faculty educators, learning designers
in higher education play a vital role in maintaining students'
privacy by designing learning experiences that rely on online
technology integration. Like other professional designers, they
need to care for the humans they design for by not producing
designs that infringe on their privacy, thus, not causing harm.
Recognizing that widely used instructional design models are
silent on the topic and do not address ethical considerations
such as privacy, we focus this paper on how design ethics can be
leveraged by learning designers in higher education in a
practical manner, illustrated through authentic examples. We
highlight where the ethical responsibility of learning designers
comes into the foreground when maintaining students' privacy and
well-being, especially in online settings. We outline an
existing ethical decision-making framework and show how learning
designers can use it as a call to action to protect the students
they design for, strengthening their ethical design capacity.
Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic
Existing codes of ethical standards from well-known learning
design organizations call upon learning designers to protect
students' privacy without clear guidance on how to do so. Design
ethics within learning design is often discussed in abstract
ways with principles that are difficult to apply. Most, if not
all, design models that learning design professionals have
learned are either silent on design ethics and/or do not
consider ethics as a valid dimension, thus, making design ethics
mostly excluded from learning design graduate programs.
Practical means for engaging in ethical design practice are
scarce in the field. What this paper adds A call for learning
designers in higher education to maintain and protect students'
privacy and well-being, strengthening their ethical design
capacity. A demonstration of how to use a practical ethical
decision-making framework as a designerly tool in designing for
learning to maintain and protect students' privacy and
well-being. Authentic examples?in the form of vignettes?of
ethical dilemmas/issues that learning designers in higher
education could face, focused on students' privacy.
Methods?using a practical ethical decision-making framework?for
learning design professionals in higher education, grounded in
the philosophy of designers as the guarantors of designs, to be
employed to detect situations where students' privacy and best
interests are at risk. A demonstration of how learning designers
could make stellar design decisions in service to the students
they design for and not to the priorities of other design
stakeholders. Implications for practice and/or policy Higher
education programs/institutions that prepare/employ learning
designers ought to treat the topics of the designer's
responsibility and design ethics more explicitly and practically
as one of the means to maintain and protect students' privacy,
in addition to law and policies. Learning designers in higher
education ought to hold a powerful position in their
professional practice to maintain and protect students' privacy
and well-being, as an important aspect of their ethical design
responsibilities. Learning designers in higher education ought
to adopt a design thinking mindset in order to protect students'
privacy by (1) challenging ideas and assumptions regarding
technology integration in general and (2) detecting what is
known in User Experience (UX) design as "dark patterns" in
online course design.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
integral aspect of learning design and technology integration,
is not only a matter of policy and law but also a matter of
design ethics. Similar to faculty educators, learning designers
in higher education play a vital role in maintaining students'
privacy by designing learning experiences that rely on online
technology integration. Like other professional designers, they
need to care for the humans they design for by not producing
designs that infringe on their privacy, thus, not causing harm.
Recognizing that widely used instructional design models are
silent on the topic and do not address ethical considerations
such as privacy, we focus this paper on how design ethics can be
leveraged by learning designers in higher education in a
practical manner, illustrated through authentic examples. We
highlight where the ethical responsibility of learning designers
comes into the foreground when maintaining students' privacy and
well-being, especially in online settings. We outline an
existing ethical decision-making framework and show how learning
designers can use it as a call to action to protect the students
they design for, strengthening their ethical design capacity.
Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic
Existing codes of ethical standards from well-known learning
design organizations call upon learning designers to protect
students' privacy without clear guidance on how to do so. Design
ethics within learning design is often discussed in abstract
ways with principles that are difficult to apply. Most, if not
all, design models that learning design professionals have
learned are either silent on design ethics and/or do not
consider ethics as a valid dimension, thus, making design ethics
mostly excluded from learning design graduate programs.
Practical means for engaging in ethical design practice are
scarce in the field. What this paper adds A call for learning
designers in higher education to maintain and protect students'
privacy and well-being, strengthening their ethical design
capacity. A demonstration of how to use a practical ethical
decision-making framework as a designerly tool in designing for
learning to maintain and protect students' privacy and
well-being. Authentic examples?in the form of vignettes?of
ethical dilemmas/issues that learning designers in higher
education could face, focused on students' privacy.
Methods?using a practical ethical decision-making framework?for
learning design professionals in higher education, grounded in
the philosophy of designers as the guarantors of designs, to be
employed to detect situations where students' privacy and best
interests are at risk. A demonstration of how learning designers
could make stellar design decisions in service to the students
they design for and not to the priorities of other design
stakeholders. Implications for practice and/or policy Higher
education programs/institutions that prepare/employ learning
designers ought to treat the topics of the designer's
responsibility and design ethics more explicitly and practically
as one of the means to maintain and protect students' privacy,
in addition to law and policies. Learning designers in higher
education ought to hold a powerful position in their
professional practice to maintain and protect students' privacy
and well-being, as an important aspect of their ethical design
responsibilities. Learning designers in higher education ought
to adopt a design thinking mindset in order to protect students'
privacy by (1) challenging ideas and assumptions regarding
technology integration in general and (2) detecting what is
known in User Experience (UX) design as "dark patterns" in
online course design.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Carlock, Thomas; Li, Ziqing; Duane, Ja-Nae
Scaffolding Ethics-Focused Methods for Practice Resonance Best Paper Proceedings Article
In: DIS'23: Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, 2023, (Awarded Best Paper, Top 1%).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@inproceedings{Gray2023-ek,
title = {Scaffolding Ethics-Focused Methods for Practice Resonance},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Thomas Carlock and Ziqing Li and Ja-Nae Duane},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023_Grayetal_DIS_ScaffoldingEthicFocusedMethodsResonance.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3563657.3596111},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-07-01},
urldate = {2023-07-01},
booktitle = {DIS'23: Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive
Systems Conference},
abstract = {Numerous methods and tools have been proposed to motivate or
support ethical awareness in design practice. However, many
existing resources are not easily discoverable by practitioners.
One reason being that they are framed using language that is not
immediately accessible or resonant with the felt complexity of
everyday practice. In this paper, we propose a set of
empirically-supported ``intentions'' to frame practitioners'
selection of relevant ethics-focused methods based on interviews
with practitioners from a range of technology and design
professions, and then leverage these intentions in the design
and iterative evaluation of a website that allows practitioners
to identify supports for ethics-focused action in their work
context. Building on these findings, we propose a set of
heuristics to evaluate the practice resonance of resources to
support ethics-focused practice, laying the groundwork for
increased ecological resonance of ethics-focused methods and
method selection tools.},
note = {Awarded Best Paper, Top 1%},
keywords = {Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
support ethical awareness in design practice. However, many
existing resources are not easily discoverable by practitioners.
One reason being that they are framed using language that is not
immediately accessible or resonant with the felt complexity of
everyday practice. In this paper, we propose a set of
empirically-supported ``intentions'' to frame practitioners'
selection of relevant ethics-focused methods based on interviews
with practitioners from a range of technology and design
professions, and then leverage these intentions in the design
and iterative evaluation of a website that allows practitioners
to identify supports for ethics-focused action in their work
context. Building on these findings, we propose a set of
heuristics to evaluate the practice resonance of resources to
support ethics-focused practice, laying the groundwork for
increased ecological resonance of ethics-focused methods and
method selection tools.
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Obi, Ike; Carlock, Thomas; Gray, Colin M
Wrangling Ethical Design Complexity: Dilemmas, Tensions, and Situations Proceedings Article
In: Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS Companion '23), 2023.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@inproceedings{Chivukula2023-wj,
title = {Wrangling Ethical Design Complexity: Dilemmas, Tensions, and Situations},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Ike Obi and Thomas Carlock and Colin M Gray},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3563703.3596632
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023_Chivukulaetal_DISPWIP_WranglingEthicalDesignComplexity.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3563703.3596632},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-07-01},
urldate = {2023-07-01},
booktitle = {Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS Companion '23)},
keywords = {Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Tong, Nicole; Mildner, Thomas; Rossi, Arianna; Gunawan, Johanna; Sinders, Caroline
Dark Patterns and the Emerging Threats of Deceptive Design Practices Proceedings Article
In: Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23), 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Transdisciplinarity
@inproceedings{Gray2023-kq,
title = {Dark Patterns and the Emerging Threats of Deceptive Design Practices},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nicole Tong and Thomas Mildner and Arianna Rossi and Johanna Gunawan and Caroline Sinders},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023_CHI_SIG_DarkPattersDeceptiveDesign.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3583173},
doi = {10.1145/3544549.3583173},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-04-01},
urldate = {2023-04-01},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors
in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23)},
abstract = {Growth hacking, particularly within the spectre of surveillance
capitalism, has led to the widespread use of deceptive,
manipulative, and coercive design techniques in the last decade.
These challenges exist at the intersection of many diferent
technology professions that are rapidly evolving and
``shapeshifting'' their design practices to confront emerging
regulation. A wide range of scholars have increasingly addressed
these challenges through the label ``dark patterns,'' describing
the content of deceptive and coercive design practices, the
ubiquity of these patterns in contemporary digital systems, and
the impact of emerging regulatory and legislative action on the
presence of dark patterns. Building on this convergent and
trans-disciplinary research area, the aims of this SIG are to:
1) Provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to
address methodologies for detecting, characterizing, and
regulating dark patterns; 2) Identify opportunities for
additional empirical work to characterize and demonstrate harms
related to dark patterns; and 3) Aid in convergence among HCI,
design, computational, regulatory, and legal perspectives on
dark patterns. These goals will enable an
internationally-diverse, engaged, and impactful research
community to address the threats of dark patterns on digital
systems.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Transdisciplinarity},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
capitalism, has led to the widespread use of deceptive,
manipulative, and coercive design techniques in the last decade.
These challenges exist at the intersection of many diferent
technology professions that are rapidly evolving and
``shapeshifting'' their design practices to confront emerging
regulation. A wide range of scholars have increasingly addressed
these challenges through the label ``dark patterns,'' describing
the content of deceptive and coercive design practices, the
ubiquity of these patterns in contemporary digital systems, and
the impact of emerging regulatory and legislative action on the
presence of dark patterns. Building on this convergent and
trans-disciplinary research area, the aims of this SIG are to:
1) Provide an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to
address methodologies for detecting, characterizing, and
regulating dark patterns; 2) Identify opportunities for
additional empirical work to characterize and demonstrate harms
related to dark patterns; and 3) Aid in convergence among HCI,
design, computational, regulatory, and legal perspectives on
dark patterns. These goals will enable an
internationally-diverse, engaged, and impactful research
community to address the threats of dark patterns on digital
systems.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Bongard-Blanchy, Kerstin; Mathur, Arunesh; Gunawan, Johanna; Schaffner, Brennan
Emerging Transdisciplinary Perspectives to Confront Dark Patterns Proceedings Article
In: Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23), 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Transdisciplinarity
@inproceedings{Gray2023-wg,
title = {Emerging Transdisciplinary Perspectives to Confront Dark Patterns},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Kerstin Bongard-Blanchy and Arunesh Mathur and Johanna Gunawan and Brennan Schaffner},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2023_CHI_Panel_TransdisciplinaryDarkPatterns.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3583745},
doi = {10.1145/3544549.3583745},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-04-01},
urldate = {2023-04-01},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors
in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23)},
abstract = {Technology ethics is increasingly at the forefront of
human-computer interaction scholarship, with increasing
visibility not only to end users of technology, but also
regulators, technology practitioners, and platforms. The notion
of ``dark patterns'' has emerged as one common framing of
technology manipulation, describing instances where
psychological or perceptual tricks are used to decrease user
agency and autonomy. In this panel, we have assembled a group of
highly diverse early-career scholars that have built a
transdisciplinary approach to scholarship on dark patterns,
engaging with a range of socio-technical approaches and
perspectives. Panelists will discuss their methodological
approaches, key research questions to be considered in this
emerging area of scholarship, and necessary connections between
and among disciplinary perspectives to engage with the diverse
constituencies that frame the creation, use, and impacts of dark
patterns.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives, Transdisciplinarity},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
human-computer interaction scholarship, with increasing
visibility not only to end users of technology, but also
regulators, technology practitioners, and platforms. The notion
of ``dark patterns'' has emerged as one common framing of
technology manipulation, describing instances where
psychological or perceptual tricks are used to decrease user
agency and autonomy. In this panel, we have assembled a group of
highly diverse early-career scholars that have built a
transdisciplinary approach to scholarship on dark patterns,
engaging with a range of socio-technical approaches and
perspectives. Panelists will discuss their methodological
approaches, key research questions to be considered in this
emerging area of scholarship, and necessary connections between
and among disciplinary perspectives to engage with the diverse
constituencies that frame the creation, use, and impacts of dark
patterns.
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Bielova, Nataliia
Towards a Preliminary Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge Proceedings Article
In: Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23), 2023.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Regulation, Transdisciplinarity
@inproceedings{Gray2023-ds,
title = {Towards a Preliminary Ontology of Dark Patterns Knowledge},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nataliia Bielova},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3585676
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_GraySantosBielova_CHIBLW_OntologyDarkPatterns.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3544549.3585676},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors
in Computing Systems (CHI EA '23)},
abstract = {Deceptive design practices are increasingly used by companies to
extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer choice. Dark
patterns represent the most common contemporary amalgamation of
these problematic practices, connecting designers,
technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal professionals in
transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of universally
accepted definitions across the academic, legislative and
regulatory space has likely limited the impact that scholarship
on dark patterns might have in supporting sanctions and evolved
design practices. In this late breaking work, we seek to
harmonize regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns,
proposing a preliminary three-level ontology to create a shared
language that supports translational research and regulatory
action. We identify potential directions for scholarship and
social impact building upon this ontology.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Regulation, Transdisciplinarity},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
extract profit, harvest data, and limit consumer choice. Dark
patterns represent the most common contemporary amalgamation of
these problematic practices, connecting designers,
technologists, scholars, regulators, and legal professionals in
transdisciplinary dialogue. However, a lack of universally
accepted definitions across the academic, legislative and
regulatory space has likely limited the impact that scholarship
on dark patterns might have in supporting sanctions and evolved
design practices. In this late breaking work, we seek to
harmonize regulatory and academic taxonomies of dark patterns,
proposing a preliminary three-level ontology to create a shared
language that supports translational research and regulatory
action. We identify potential directions for scholarship and
social impact building upon this ontology.
Gray, Colin M; Williams, Rua M; Parsons, Paul C; Toombs, Austin L; Westbrook, Abbee
Trajectories of Student Engagement with Social Justice-Informed Design Work Book Section
In: Hokanson, Brad; Exter, Marisa; Schmidt, Matthew M; Tawfik, Andrew A (Ed.): Toward Inclusive Learning Design: Social Justice, Equity, and Community, pp. 289–301, Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, 2023, ISSN: 2625-0012.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Theory, Design Education, Digital Civics, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Practice
@incollection{Gray2023-sf,
title = {Trajectories of Student Engagement with Social Justice-Informed Design Work},
author = {Colin M Gray and Rua M Williams and Paul C Parsons and Austin L Toombs and Abbee Westbrook},
editor = {Brad Hokanson and Marisa Exter and Matthew M Schmidt and Andrew A Tawfik},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37697-9_22},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-37697-9_22},
issn = {2625-0012},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-01-01},
urldate = {2023-01-01},
booktitle = {Toward Inclusive Learning Design: Social Justice, Equity, and
Community},
pages = {289–301},
publisher = {Springer Nature Switzerland},
address = {Cham},
abstract = {Designers are increasingly interested in using methodologies
that foreground the politics of design, moving beyond
product-centered notions of work that are common even within
human-centered design traditions. In this paper, we document the
experiences of undergraduate UX design students as they used a
digital civics approach to support local community needs. We
highlight how students sought to frame their design work and
outcomes, describing successful and unsuccessful trajectories of
engagement with social justice principles.},
keywords = {Critical Theory, Design Education, Digital Civics, Ethics and Values, HCI Education, Studio Pedagogy, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
that foreground the politics of design, moving beyond
product-centered notions of work that are common even within
human-centered design traditions. In this paper, we document the
experiences of undergraduate UX design students as they used a
digital civics approach to support local community needs. We
highlight how students sought to frame their design work and
outcomes, describing successful and unsuccessful trajectories of
engagement with social justice principles.
2022
Gray, Colin M
Critical Pedagogy and the Pluriversal Design Studio Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Research Society, Design Research Society, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Gray2022-kn,
title = {Critical Pedagogy and the Pluriversal Design Studio},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.238
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022_Gray_DRS_CriticalPedagogyPluriversalDesignStudio.pdf},
doi = {10.21606/drs.2022.238},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-06-01},
urldate = {2022-06-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Research Society},
publisher = {Design Research Society},
abstract = {Studio learning is central to the teaching of design. However,
the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside emerging and
historic critiques of studio pedagogy, creates a space for
critical engagement with the present and potential futures of
design education in studio. In this paper, I outline historic
critiques of studio pedagogy, drawing primarily from critical
pedagogy literature to frame issues relating to disempowerment,
student agency, and monolithic representations of the student
role and student development. I build upon this critical
foundation to re-imagine studio practices as pluriversal,
recognizing the challenges and opportunities of bridging
epistemological and ontological differences and facilitating the
potential for pluralism in design curricula, our student
experiences, and the future of design professions.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside emerging and
historic critiques of studio pedagogy, creates a space for
critical engagement with the present and potential futures of
design education in studio. In this paper, I outline historic
critiques of studio pedagogy, drawing primarily from critical
pedagogy literature to frame issues relating to disempowerment,
student agency, and monolithic representations of the student
role and student development. I build upon this critical
foundation to re-imagine studio practices as pluriversal,
recognizing the challenges and opportunities of bridging
epistemological and ontological differences and facilitating the
potential for pluralism in design curricula, our student
experiences, and the future of design professions.
Gray, Colin M; Hasib, Aiza; Li, Ziqing; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai
Using decisive constraints to create design methods that guide ethical impact Journal Article
In: Design Studies, vol. 79, pp. 101097, 2022, ISSN: 0142-694X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Ethics and Values
@article{Gray2022-kv,
title = {Using decisive constraints to create design methods that guide ethical impact},
author = {Colin M Gray and Aiza Hasib and Ziqing Li and Shruthi Sai Chivukula},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142694X22000175},
doi = {10.1016/j.destud.2022.101097},
issn = {0142-694X},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-01},
urldate = {2022-03-01},
journal = {Design Studies},
volume = {79},
pages = {101097},
abstract = {Numerous methods have been designed to aid practitioners in
identifying ethical concerns, imagining potential futures,
defining values, and evaluating existing systems. However, there
is little scholarship that addresses the design of these methods,
including how ethical concerns are operationalized in these
methods. In this paper, we report results of an interview study
with twelve ethics-focused method designers, investigating their
process of instigating, creating, and disseminating their method.
We conducted a top-down thematic analysis using the Biskjaer and
Halskov framework of decisive constraints, identifying intrinsic,
extrinsic, and self-imposed constraints alongside iterative and
evaluative resonance-seeking activities. This analysis provides a
rich conceptual vocabulary to better describe the design of
methods for ethical impact from the perspective of researchers
and practitioners.},
keywords = {Design Knowledge, Design Methods, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
identifying ethical concerns, imagining potential futures,
defining values, and evaluating existing systems. However, there
is little scholarship that addresses the design of these methods,
including how ethical concerns are operationalized in these
methods. In this paper, we report results of an interview study
with twelve ethics-focused method designers, investigating their
process of instigating, creating, and disseminating their method.
We conducted a top-down thematic analysis using the Biskjaer and
Halskov framework of decisive constraints, identifying intrinsic,
extrinsic, and self-imposed constraints alongside iterative and
evaluative resonance-seeking activities. This analysis provides a
rich conceptual vocabulary to better describe the design of
methods for ethical impact from the perspective of researchers
and practitioners.
Boling, Elizabeth; Gray, Colin M; Lachheb, Ahmed
Inscribing a Designer Mindset to Instructional Design Students Book Section
In: The Instructional Design Trainer's Guide, pp. 18–28, Routledge, 2022, ISBN: 9781003109938, 9781003109938.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design
@incollection{Boling2022-kg,
title = {Inscribing a Designer Mindset to Instructional Design Students},
author = {Elizabeth Boling and Colin M Gray and Ahmed Lachheb},
url = {https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003109938-3/inscribing-designer-mindset-instructional-design-students-elizabeth-boling-colin-gray-ahmed-lachheb},
doi = {10.4324/9781003109938-3},
isbn = {9781003109938, 9781003109938},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-03-01},
urldate = {2022-03-01},
booktitle = {The Instructional Design Trainer's Guide},
pages = {18--28},
publisher = {Routledge},
abstract = {In this chapter, we focus on building a designer's mindset among
instructional design (ID) students by using frame experiments as
an instructional method. We provide the theoretical foundation
of frame experiments with a sample scenario of their use and
conclude by sharing specific instructional activities that
instructors may use to build design judgment.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Theory, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
instructional design (ID) students by using frame experiments as
an instructional method. We provide the theoretical foundation
of frame experiments with a sample scenario of their use and
conclude by sharing specific instructional activities that
instructors may use to build design judgment.
Gray, Colin M
Languaging design methods Journal Article
In: Design Studies, vol. 78, pp. 101076, 2022, ISSN: 0142-694X.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Methods, Ethics and Values
@article{Gray2022-na,
title = {Languaging design methods},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142694X21000879},
doi = {10.1016/j.destud.2021.101076},
issn = {0142-694X},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {Design Studies},
volume = {78},
pages = {101076},
abstract = {Design methods have been integral to design studies research,
with initial goals of bringing rationality and objectivity to
design activities, later shifting to the creation and provision
of methods as tools to encourage more reflective, meaningful, and
socially responsible design practices. However, little research
exists that describes how methods are created, what knowledge is
used to inform this creation, or connects elements of methods to
performance by designers. In this research note, I describe
performative, codification-oriented, and presentation-oriented
stances towards design methods, articulating a vocabulary that
languages aspects of methods. I describe areas where this
vocabulary may support design researchers, including building new
design methods, informing descriptive accounts of methods in use,
and supporting the creation of a theory of method.},
keywords = {Design Methods, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
with initial goals of bringing rationality and objectivity to
design activities, later shifting to the creation and provision
of methods as tools to encourage more reflective, meaningful, and
socially responsible design practices. However, little research
exists that describes how methods are created, what knowledge is
used to inform this creation, or connects elements of methods to
performance by designers. In this research note, I describe
performative, codification-oriented, and presentation-oriented
stances towards design methods, articulating a vocabulary that
languages aspects of methods. I describe areas where this
vocabulary may support design researchers, including building new
design methods, informing descriptive accounts of methods in use,
and supporting the creation of a theory of method.
Debs, Luciana; Gray, Colin M; Asunda, Paul A
Students' perceptions and reasoning patterns about the ethics of emerging technology Journal Article
In: International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 2022, ISSN: 1573-1804.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Ethics and Values
@article{Debs2022-mt,
title = {Students' perceptions and reasoning patterns about the ethics of emerging technology},
author = {Luciana Debs and Colin M Gray and Paul A Asunda},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-021-09719-w},
doi = {10.1007/s10798-021-09719-w},
issn = {1573-1804},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Technology and Design Education},
abstract = {Discussions around the unethical use of emerging technology have
become increasingly common in our society. Despite previous
research acknowledging the importance of including societal-level
discussions in engineering and technology undergraduate
curricula, there is a lack of research around college students'
understanding of and engagement with the ethics of new and
emerging technology. In this qualitative study, we present the
results from 17 interviews with students from a range of
engineering and technology fields, describing how they reason as
both designers and consumers of new technology. Our goal is to
characterize students' patterns of reasoning about the ethics of
new technology, and, in this paper, we describe how this
reasoning is argued from multiple stakeholder perspectives
(corporations, government, professionals, users and society). Our
findings indicate privacy, security and balance of power as the
most relevant ethical issues to respondents, and that
participants consider several stakeholders in their reasoning,
often shifting among multiple perspectives. Furthermore,
interviewed students often concluded their reasoning by either
resigning themselves to the pervasiveness of technology or by
pushing the liability concerns to one stakeholder while
diminishing the responsibility of others. In each case,
respondents frequently avoided entering societal-level
discussions related to ethical issues of emerging technology. Our
results offer relevant insights that can facilitate further work
related to the research and teaching of ethics to college
students, as well as suggest areas for future research
particularly building upon participants' feelings of resignation
in relation to unethical use of new technology.},
keywords = {Design Education, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
become increasingly common in our society. Despite previous
research acknowledging the importance of including societal-level
discussions in engineering and technology undergraduate
curricula, there is a lack of research around college students'
understanding of and engagement with the ethics of new and
emerging technology. In this qualitative study, we present the
results from 17 interviews with students from a range of
engineering and technology fields, describing how they reason as
both designers and consumers of new technology. Our goal is to
characterize students' patterns of reasoning about the ethics of
new technology, and, in this paper, we describe how this
reasoning is argued from multiple stakeholder perspectives
(corporations, government, professionals, users and society). Our
findings indicate privacy, security and balance of power as the
most relevant ethical issues to respondents, and that
participants consider several stakeholders in their reasoning,
often shifting among multiple perspectives. Furthermore,
interviewed students often concluded their reasoning by either
resigning themselves to the pervasiveness of technology or by
pushing the liability concerns to one stakeholder while
diminishing the responsibility of others. In each case,
respondents frequently avoided entering societal-level
discussions related to ethical issues of emerging technology. Our
results offer relevant insights that can facilitate further work
related to the research and teaching of ethics to college
students, as well as suggest areas for future research
particularly building upon participants' feelings of resignation
in relation to unethical use of new technology.
Light, Ann; Gray, Colin M; Lindström, Kristina; Forlano, Laura; Lockton, Dan; Speed, Chris
Designing Transformative Futures Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Research Society Conference, Bilbao, Spain, 2022.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Theory, Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Research Methods
@inproceedings{Light2022-cj,
title = {Designing Transformative Futures},
author = {Ann Light and Colin M Gray and Kristina Lindström and Laura Forlano and Dan Lockton and Chris Speed},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.896
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022_Lightetal_DRS_DesigningTransformativeFutures.pdf},
doi = {10.21606/drs.2022.896},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-01-01},
urldate = {2022-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Research Society Conference},
address = {Bilbao, Spain},
abstract = {What makes the design of futures sufficiently transformative?
Worldwide, people are aware of the need to change and keep
changing to address eco-social challenges and their fall-out in
an age of crises and transitions in climate, biodiversity, and
health. Calls for climate justice and the development of
eco-social sensibilities speak to the need for dynamic and
provisional engagements. Such concerns raise age-old issues of
inequality and colonialist destruction. Our designs carry the
imprint of this current politics, wittingly or unwittingly, into
worlds to come. This conversation asked how might we respond
fluidly to coming uncertainties, questioning our own practices
to sow the seeds of more radical transformation, while
recognizing the structural forces that can limit or temper
opportunities for design activism. It was organized in three
quadrant exercises, which we also reflect upon.},
keywords = {Critical Theory, Design Methods, Ethics and Values, Research Methods},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Worldwide, people are aware of the need to change and keep
changing to address eco-social challenges and their fall-out in
an age of crises and transitions in climate, biodiversity, and
health. Calls for climate justice and the development of
eco-social sensibilities speak to the need for dynamic and
provisional engagements. Such concerns raise age-old issues of
inequality and colonialist destruction. Our designs carry the
imprint of this current politics, wittingly or unwittingly, into
worlds to come. This conversation asked how might we respond
fluidly to coming uncertainties, questioning our own practices
to sow the seeds of more radical transformation, while
recognizing the structural forces that can limit or temper
opportunities for design activism. It was organized in three
quadrant exercises, which we also reflect upon.
2021
Gray, Colin M; Chen, Jingle; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Qu, Liyang
End User Accounts of Dark Patterns as Felt Manipulation Journal Article
In: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 5, no. CSCW2, pp. Article 372, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Asshole Design, Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values
@article{Gray2021b,
title = {End User Accounts of Dark Patterns as Felt Manipulation},
author = {Colin M Gray and Jingle Chen and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Liyang Qu},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3479516},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-10-21},
urldate = {2021-10-21},
journal = {Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction},
volume = {5},
number = {CSCW2},
pages = {Article 372},
abstract = {Manipulation defines many of our experiences as a consumer,
including subtle nudges and overt advertising campaigns that
seek to gain our attention and money. With the advent of
digital services that can continuously optimize online
experiences to favor stakeholder requirements, increasingly
designers and developers make use of "dark
patterns"—forms of manipulation that prey on human
psychology—to encourage certain behaviors and discourage
others in ways that present unequal value to the end user.
In this paper, we provide an account of end user perceptions
of manipulation that builds on and extends notions of dark
patterns. We report on the results of a survey of users conducted in English and Mandarin Chinese (n=169), including
follow-up interviews from nine survey respondents. We used a
card sorting method to support thematic analysis of
responses from each cultural context, identifying both
qualitatively-supported insights to describe end users' felt
experiences of manipulative products, and a continuum of
manipulation. We further support this analysis through a
quantitative analysis of survey results and the presentation
of vignettes from the interviews. We conclude with
implications for future research, considerations for public
policy, and guidance on how to further empower and give
users autonomy in their experiences with digital services.},
keywords = {Asshole Design, Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
including subtle nudges and overt advertising campaigns that
seek to gain our attention and money. With the advent of
digital services that can continuously optimize online
experiences to favor stakeholder requirements, increasingly
designers and developers make use of "dark
patterns"—forms of manipulation that prey on human
psychology—to encourage certain behaviors and discourage
others in ways that present unequal value to the end user.
In this paper, we provide an account of end user perceptions
of manipulation that builds on and extends notions of dark
patterns. We report on the results of a survey of users conducted in English and Mandarin Chinese (n=169), including
follow-up interviews from nine survey respondents. We used a
card sorting method to support thematic analysis of
responses from each cultural context, identifying both
qualitatively-supported insights to describe end users' felt
experiences of manipulative products, and a continuum of
manipulation. We further support this analysis through a
quantitative analysis of survey results and the presentation
of vignettes from the interviews. We conclude with
implications for future research, considerations for public
policy, and guidance on how to further empower and give
users autonomy in their experiences with digital services.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Melkey, Kassandra; Manocha, Rhea
Understanding “Dark” Design Roles in Computing Education Proceedings Article
In: ICER'21: Proceedings of the 14th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Gray2021b,
title = {Understanding “Dark” Design Roles in Computing Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Kassandra Melkey and Rhea Manocha},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3446871.3469754},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-08-19},
urldate = {2021-08-19},
booktitle = {ICER'21: Proceedings of the 14th ACM Conference on International Computing Education Research},
abstract = {In conjunction with the increasing ubiquity of technology,
computing educators have identified the need for pedagogical
engagement with ethical awareness and moral reasoning. Typical
approaches to incorporating ethics in computing curricula have
focused primarily on abstract methods, principles, or paradigms
of ethical reasoning, with relatively little focus on examining
and developing students' pragmatic awareness of ethics as
grounded in their everyday work practices. In this paper, we
identify and describe computing students' negotiation of values
as they engage in authentic design problems through a lab
protocol study. We collected data from four groups of three
students each, with each group including participants from
either undergraduate User Experience Design students, Industrial
Engineering students, or a mix of both. We used a thematic
analysis approach to identify the roles that students took on to
address the design prompt. Through our analysis, we found that
the students took on a variety of ``dark'' roles that resulted
in manipulation of the user and prioritization of stakeholder
needs over user needs, with a focus either on building solutions
or building rationale for design decisions. We found these roles
to actively propagate through design discourses, impacting other
designers in ways that frequently reinforced unethical decision
making. Even when students were aware of ethical concerns based
on their educational training, this awareness did not
consistently result in ethically-sound decisions. These findings
indicate the need for additional ethical supports to inform
everyday computing practice, including means of actively
identifying and balancing negative societal impacts of design
decisions. The roles we have identified may productively support
the development of pragmatically-focused ethical training in
computing education, while adding more precision to future
analysis of computing student discourses and outputs.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
computing educators have identified the need for pedagogical
engagement with ethical awareness and moral reasoning. Typical
approaches to incorporating ethics in computing curricula have
focused primarily on abstract methods, principles, or paradigms
of ethical reasoning, with relatively little focus on examining
and developing students' pragmatic awareness of ethics as
grounded in their everyday work practices. In this paper, we
identify and describe computing students' negotiation of values
as they engage in authentic design problems through a lab
protocol study. We collected data from four groups of three
students each, with each group including participants from
either undergraduate User Experience Design students, Industrial
Engineering students, or a mix of both. We used a thematic
analysis approach to identify the roles that students took on to
address the design prompt. Through our analysis, we found that
the students took on a variety of ``dark'' roles that resulted
in manipulation of the user and prioritization of stakeholder
needs over user needs, with a focus either on building solutions
or building rationale for design decisions. We found these roles
to actively propagate through design discourses, impacting other
designers in ways that frequently reinforced unethical decision
making. Even when students were aware of ethical concerns based
on their educational training, this awareness did not
consistently result in ethically-sound decisions. These findings
indicate the need for additional ethical supports to inform
everyday computing practice, including means of actively
identifying and balancing negative societal impacts of design
decisions. The roles we have identified may productively support
the development of pragmatically-focused ethical training in
computing education, while adding more precision to future
analysis of computing student discourses and outputs.
Gray, Colin M; Santos, Cristiana; Bielova, Nataliia; Toth, Michael; Clifford, Damian
Dark Patterns and the Legal Requirements of Consent Banners: An Interaction Criticism Perspective Honorable Mention Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives
@inproceedings{Gray2021,
title = {Dark Patterns and the Legal Requirements of Consent Banners: An Interaction Criticism Perspective},
author = {Colin M Gray and Cristiana Santos and Nataliia Bielova and Michael Toth and Damian Clifford},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2009.10194},
doi = {10.1145/3411764.3445779},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-01},
urldate = {2021-05-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
abstract = {User engagement with data privacy and security through consent banners has become a ubiquitous part of interacting with internet services. While previous work has addressed consent banners from either interaction design, legal, and ethics-focused perspectives, little research addresses the connections among multiple disciplinary approaches, including tensions and opportunities that transcend disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we draw together perspectives and commentary from HCI, design, privacy and data protection, and legal research communities, using the language and strategies of "dark patterns" to perform an interaction criticism reading of three different types of consent banners. Our analysis builds upon designer, interface, user, and social context lenses to raise tensions and synergies that arise together in complex, contingent, and conflicting ways in the act of designing consent banners. We conclude with opportunities for transdisciplinary dialogue across legal, ethical, computer science, and interactive systems scholarship to translate matters of ethical concern into public policy.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Legal and Policy Perspectives},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Hasib, Aiza; Li, Ziqing; Chen, Jingle; Gray, Colin M
Identity Claims that Underlie Ethical Awareness and Action Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Theory, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@inproceedings{Chivukula2021-oj,
title = {Identity Claims that Underlie Ethical Awareness and Action},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Aiza Hasib and Ziqing Li and Jingle Chen and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021_Chivukulaetal_CHI_IdentityClaimsEthicalAwarenessAction.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3411764.3445375},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-05-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems},
series = {CHI'21},
abstract = {HCI and STS researchers have previously described the ethical
complexity of practice, drawing together aspects of
organizational complexity, design knowledge, and ethical
frameworks. Building on this work, we investigate the identity
claims and beliefs that impact practitioners' ability to
recognize and act upon ethical concerns in a range of
technology-focused disciplines. In this paper, we report results
from an interview study with 12 practitioners, identifying and
describing their identity claims related to ethical awareness
and action. We conducted a critically-focused thematic analysis
to identify eight distinct claims representing roles relating to
learning, educating, following policies, feeling a sense of
responsibility, being a member of a profession, a translator, an
activist, and deliberative. Based on our findings, we
demonstrate how the claims foreground building competence in
relation to ethical practice. We highlight the dynamic interplay
among these claims and point towards implications for identity
work in socio-technical contexts.},
keywords = {Critical Theory, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
complexity of practice, drawing together aspects of
organizational complexity, design knowledge, and ethical
frameworks. Building on this work, we investigate the identity
claims and beliefs that impact practitioners' ability to
recognize and act upon ethical concerns in a range of
technology-focused disciplines. In this paper, we report results
from an interview study with 12 practitioners, identifying and
describing their identity claims related to ethical awareness
and action. We conducted a critically-focused thematic analysis
to identify eight distinct claims representing roles relating to
learning, educating, following policies, feeling a sense of
responsibility, being a member of a profession, a translator, an
activist, and deliberative. Based on our findings, we
demonstrate how the claims foreground building competence in
relation to ethical practice. We highlight the dynamic interplay
among these claims and point towards implications for identity
work in socio-technical contexts.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai
"That's dastardly ingenious": Ethical Argumentation Strategies on Reddit Journal Article
In: Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 5, no. CSCW1, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ethics and Values, Reddit, Social Media
@article{Gray2021-xj,
title = {"That's dastardly ingenious": Ethical Argumentation Strategies on Reddit},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2021_GrayChivukula_CSCW_EthicalArgumentation.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3449144},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-04-01},
journal = {Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction},
volume = {5},
number = {CSCW1},
abstract = {Scholars have previously described how online communities engage
in particular discourses and forms of argumentation. In parallel,
HCI and STS researchers have described discourses surrounding
ethics and values and their role in shaping design processes and
outcomes. However, little work has addressed the intersection of
ethical concern and the discourses of non-expert users. In this
paper, we describe the argumentation strategies used by Redditors
on the subreddit `r/assholedesign' as they discuss ethically
problematic design artifacts. We used content and sequence
analysis methods to identify the building blocks of ethical
argumentation in this online community, including ethical
positioning when raising issues of concern, identification of
potential remedies to the original design artifact or issues of
concern, and means of extending or negating these elements.
Through this analysis, we reveal the breadth of ethical
argumentation strategies used ``in-the-wild'' by non-experts,
resulting in an increased awareness of the capacity of community
members to engage in ``everyday ethics'' regardless of specific
ethics training. We describe future opportunities to connect
these ethical argumentation strategies with design practices,
education, and methods.},
keywords = {Ethics and Values, Reddit, Social Media},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
in particular discourses and forms of argumentation. In parallel,
HCI and STS researchers have described discourses surrounding
ethics and values and their role in shaping design processes and
outcomes. However, little work has addressed the intersection of
ethical concern and the discourses of non-expert users. In this
paper, we describe the argumentation strategies used by Redditors
on the subreddit `r/assholedesign' as they discuss ethically
problematic design artifacts. We used content and sequence
analysis methods to identify the building blocks of ethical
argumentation in this online community, including ethical
positioning when raising issues of concern, identification of
potential remedies to the original design artifact or issues of
concern, and means of extending or negating these elements.
Through this analysis, we reveal the breadth of ethical
argumentation strategies used ``in-the-wild'' by non-experts,
resulting in an increased awareness of the capacity of community
members to engage in ``everyday ethics'' regardless of specific
ethics training. We describe future opportunities to connect
these ethical argumentation strategies with design practices,
education, and methods.
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Li, Ziqing; Pivonka, Anne C; Chen, Jingning; Gray, Colin M
Surveying the Landscape of Ethics-Focused Design Methods Unpublished Forthcoming
Forthcoming.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Methods, Ethics and Values, UX Knowledge
@unpublished{Chivukula2021-xk,
title = {Surveying the Landscape of Ethics-Focused Design Methods},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Ziqing Li and Anne C Pivonka and Jingning Chen and Colin M Gray},
url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2102.08909},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-02-11},
abstract = {Over the past decade, HCI researchers, design researchers, and practitioners have increasingly addressed ethics-focused issues through a range of theoretical, methodological and pragmatic contributions to the field. While many forms of design knowledge have been proposed and described, we focus explicitly on knowledge that has been codified as "methods," which we define as any supports for everyday work practices of designers. In this paper, we identify, analyze, and map a collection of 63 existing ethics-focused methods intentionally designed for ethical impact. We present a content analysis, providing a descriptive record of how they operationalize ethics, their intended audience or context of use, their "core" or "script," and the means by which these methods are formulated, articulated, and languaged. Building on these results, we provide an initial definition of ethics-focused methods, identifying potential opportunities for the development of future methods to support design practice and research.},
keywords = {Design Methods, Ethics and Values, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {forthcoming},
tppubtype = {unpublished}
}
2020
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Gray, Colin M
Co-Evolving Towards Evil Design Outcomes: Mapping Problem and Solution Process Moves Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Research Society, Design Research Society, Brisbane, Australia, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Theory, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Chivukula2020-ai,
title = {Co-Evolving Towards Evil Design Outcomes: Mapping Problem and Solution Process Moves},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020_ChivukulaGray_DRS_CoEvolutionTowardsEvilDesign.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.21606/drs.2020.107},
doi = {10.21606/drs.2020.107},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-08-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Research Society},
publisher = {Design Research Society},
address = {Brisbane, Australia},
abstract = {Creative outcomes require designers to continuously frame the
problem space and generate solutions, resulting in the
co-evolution of problem and solution. Little work has addressed
the value dimensions of design activity with regard to this co-
evolutionary process and the role of the designer in acting upon
specific and value- laden framings and/or solutions. In this
paper, we identify how triads of student designers from user
experience (UX) and industrial engineering (IE) disciplines
frame the problem space and generate solutions, foregrounding
the ethical character of their judgments in response to an
ethically-nuanced design task. Using sequence analysis to
analyze the lab protocol data, we describe the frequency and
interconnectedness of process moves that lead the design team
towards unethical outcomes. Based on our findings, we call for
additional attention to ethical dimensions of problem-solution
co- evolution, and identify key interaction patterns among
designers that lead towards unethical outcomes.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Theory, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
problem space and generate solutions, resulting in the
co-evolution of problem and solution. Little work has addressed
the value dimensions of design activity with regard to this co-
evolutionary process and the role of the designer in acting upon
specific and value- laden framings and/or solutions. In this
paper, we identify how triads of student designers from user
experience (UX) and industrial engineering (IE) disciplines
frame the problem space and generate solutions, foregrounding
the ethical character of their judgments in response to an
ethically-nuanced design task. Using sequence analysis to
analyze the lab protocol data, we describe the frequency and
interconnectedness of process moves that lead the design team
towards unethical outcomes. Based on our findings, we call for
additional attention to ethical dimensions of problem-solution
co- evolution, and identify key interaction patterns among
designers that lead towards unethical outcomes.
Watkins, Chris Rhys; Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Parsons, Paul
Tensions in Enacting a Design Philosophy in UX Practice Proceedings Article
In: DIS'20: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2020, ACM Press, New York, NY, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge, UX Practice
@inproceedings{Watkins2020-zr,
title = {Tensions in Enacting a Design Philosophy in UX Practice},
author = {Chris Rhys Watkins and Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Paul Parsons},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020_Watkinsetal_DIS_TensionsDesignPhilosophy.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3357236.3395505},
doi = {10.1145/3357236.3395505},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-07-01},
booktitle = {DIS'20: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems
Conference 2020},
publisher = {ACM Press},
address = {New York, NY},
series = {DIS'20},
abstract = {Design culture is increasingly present within organizations,
especially with the rise of UX as a profession. Yet there are
often disconnects between the development of a design philosophy
and its translation in practice. Students preparing for UX
careers are positioned in a liminal space between their
educational experience and future practice, and are actively
working to build a bridge between their developing philosophy of
design and the translation of that philosophy when faced with
the complexity of design practice. In this study, we interviewed
ten students and practitioners educated within design-oriented
HCI programs, focusing on their design philosophy and evaluating
how their philosophical beliefs were shaped in practice.
Building on prior work on flows of competence, we thematically
analyzed these interviews, identifying the philosophical beliefs
of these designers and their trajectories of development,
adoption, or suppression in industry. We identify opportunities
for enhancements to UX educational practices and future research
on design complexity in industry contexts.},
keywords = {Design Education, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
especially with the rise of UX as a profession. Yet there are
often disconnects between the development of a design philosophy
and its translation in practice. Students preparing for UX
careers are positioned in a liminal space between their
educational experience and future practice, and are actively
working to build a bridge between their developing philosophy of
design and the translation of that philosophy when faced with
the complexity of design practice. In this study, we interviewed
ten students and practitioners educated within design-oriented
HCI programs, focusing on their design philosophy and evaluating
how their philosophical beliefs were shaped in practice.
Building on prior work on flows of competence, we thematically
analyzed these interviews, identifying the philosophical beliefs
of these designers and their trajectories of development,
adoption, or suppression in industry. We identify opportunities
for enhancements to UX educational practices and future research
on design complexity in industry contexts.
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Watkins, Chris; Manocha, Rhea; Chen, Jingle; Gray, Colin M
Dimensions of UX Practice that Shape Ethical Awareness Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM Press, New York, NY, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Practice
@inproceedings{Chivukula2020-bv,
title = {Dimensions of UX Practice that Shape Ethical Awareness},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Chris Watkins and Rhea Manocha and Jingle Chen and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020_Chivukulaetal_CHI_DimensionsThatShapeEthicalAwareness.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376459},
doi = {10.1145/3313831.3376459},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems},
publisher = {ACM Press},
address = {New York, NY},
series = {CHI'20},
abstract = {HCI researchers are increasingly interested in describing the
complexity of design practice, including ethical,
organizational, and societal concerns. Recent studies have
identified individual practitioners as key actors in driving the
design process and culture within their respective
organizations, and we build upon these efforts to reveal
practitioner concerns regarding ethics on their own terms. In
this paper, we report on the results of an interview study with
eleven UX practitioners, capturing their experiences that
highlight dimensions of design practice that impact ethical
awareness and action. Using a bottom-up thematic analysis, we
identified five dimensions of design complexity that influence
ethical outcomes and span individual, collaborative, and
methodological framing of UX activity. Based on these findings,
we propose a set of implications for the creation of
ethically-centered design methods that resonate with this
complexity and inform the education of future UX practitioners.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
complexity of design practice, including ethical,
organizational, and societal concerns. Recent studies have
identified individual practitioners as key actors in driving the
design process and culture within their respective
organizations, and we build upon these efforts to reveal
practitioner concerns regarding ethics on their own terms. In
this paper, we report on the results of an interview study with
eleven UX practitioners, capturing their experiences that
highlight dimensions of design practice that impact ethical
awareness and action. Using a bottom-up thematic analysis, we
identified five dimensions of design complexity that influence
ethical outcomes and span individual, collaborative, and
methodological framing of UX activity. Based on these findings,
we propose a set of implications for the creation of
ethically-centered design methods that resonate with this
complexity and inform the education of future UX practitioners.
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Gray, Colin M
Bardzell's "Feminist HCI" Legacy: Analyzing Citational Patterns Proceedings Article
In: CHI '20: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts Proceedings, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Theory, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Chivukula2020-dv,
title = {Bardzell's "Feminist HCI" Legacy: Analyzing Citational Patterns},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020_ChivukulaGray_CHILBW_FeministHCI.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3334480.3382936},
doi = {10.1145/3334480.3382936},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-01},
booktitle = {CHI '20: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing
Systems Extended Abstracts Proceedings},
abstract = {In this late-breaking work, we describe the legacy of feminist
theory within HCI literature, focusing on Shaowen Bardzell's
seminal publication "Feminist HCI: Taking Stock and Outlining
an Agenda for Design," which was one of the first to propose
adoption of feminist theories into HCI research and practice.
We conducted a citation analysis of 70 published texts that cited
this paper, using the Harwood functions to identify how feminist
theory concepts have been cited in HCI and whether the
implementation of pro-posed frameworks has taken place. This
paper was mostly given 'credit,' and most frequently
'signposted' to keep readers on track of the topical issues in
HCI, with little evidence of explicit use or extension of
proposed frameworks. These results demonstrate a largely
one-dimensional impact, characterized by a lack of deep
engagement in feminist theories. We identify opportunities to
expand feminist approach to further improve research and
practice in HCI.},
keywords = {Critical Theory, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
theory within HCI literature, focusing on Shaowen Bardzell's
seminal publication "Feminist HCI: Taking Stock and Outlining
an Agenda for Design," which was one of the first to propose
adoption of feminist theories into HCI research and practice.
We conducted a citation analysis of 70 published texts that cited
this paper, using the Harwood functions to identify how feminist
theory concepts have been cited in HCI and whether the
implementation of pro-posed frameworks has taken place. This
paper was mostly given 'credit,' and most frequently
'signposted' to keep readers on track of the topical issues in
HCI, with little evidence of explicit use or extension of
proposed frameworks. These results demonstrate a largely
one-dimensional impact, characterized by a lack of deep
engagement in feminist theories. We identify opportunities to
expand feminist approach to further improve research and
practice in HCI.
Toombs, Austin L; Whitley, Derek; Gray, Colin M
Autono-preneurial Agents in the Community: Developing a Socially Aware API for Autonomous Entrepreneurial Lawn Mowers Proceedings Article
In: GROUP '20: Companion of the 2020 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work, pp. 69-82, ACM Press, Sanibel Island, FL, USA, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Care Ethics, Design Fiction, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Toombs2020-rt,
title = {Autono-preneurial Agents in the Community: Developing a Socially Aware API for Autonomous Entrepreneurial Lawn Mowers},
author = {Austin L Toombs and Derek Whitley and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2020_ToombsWhitleyGray_GROUP_AutonopreneurialAgents.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3323994.3369900},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
booktitle = {GROUP '20: Companion of the 2020 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work},
pages = {69-82},
publisher = {ACM Press},
address = {Sanibel Island, FL, USA},
series = {GROUP'20},
abstract = {In this paper, we describe our efforts to appropriate an
autono-preneurial agent—in this case, the Amazon
Locust—through the development of an API that enables
equitable and socially aware entrepreneurial decision
making on the part of the Locust. We present a new API and
our intended vision for this system, along with our
proposed deployment plan for implementing appropriated
Locusts in Midwestern USA suburban communities. These
appropriated Locusts will allow community provisioning
decision-making that moves beyond consideration of
profitability to also include decisions based on equity,
equality, community, and interpersonal relationships. We
discuss the broader implications of this work and point
toward future areas of inquiry.},
keywords = {Care Ethics, Design Fiction, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
autono-preneurial agent—in this case, the Amazon
Locust—through the development of an API that enables
equitable and socially aware entrepreneurial decision
making on the part of the Locust. We present a new API and
our intended vision for this system, along with our
proposed deployment plan for implementing appropriated
Locusts in Midwestern USA suburban communities. These
appropriated Locusts will allow community provisioning
decision-making that moves beyond consideration of
profitability to also include decisions based on equity,
equality, community, and interpersonal relationships. We
discuss the broader implications of this work and point
toward future areas of inquiry.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai
When Does Manipulation Turn a Design 'Dark'? Journal Article
In: Interactions, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 96–96, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, UX Practice
@article{Gray2020-il,
title = {When Does Manipulation Turn a Design 'Dark'?},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3173574},
doi = {10.1145/3173574},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
journal = {Interactions},
volume = {27},
number = {1},
pages = {96--96},
publisher = {Interactions},
abstract = {Websites such as this one, shared on the ``asshole design''
subreddit, use fake errors or obstructionist language to block
access to content or user choice, drawing on dark pattern
strategies such as obstruction and forced action.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, UX Practice},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
subreddit, use fake errors or obstructionist language to block
access to content or user choice, drawing on dark pattern
strategies such as obstruction and forced action.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Lee, Ahreum
What Kind of Work Do "Asshole Designers" Create? Describing Properties of Ethical Concern on Reddit Honorable Mention Proceedings Article
In: DIS'20: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2020, ACM Press New York, NY, 2020, (Awarded Honorable Mention, top 5%).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Asshole Design, Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Reddit, Social Media
@inproceedings{Gray2020-zq,
title = {What Kind of Work Do "Asshole Designers" Create? Describing Properties of Ethical Concern on Reddit},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Ahreum Lee},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020_GrayChivukulaLee_DIS_AssholeDesign.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3357236.3395486},
doi = {10.1145/3357236.3395486},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
urldate = {2020-01-01},
booktitle = {DIS'20: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems
Conference 2020},
address = {New York, NY},
organization = {ACM Press},
series = {DIS'20},
abstract = {Design practitioners are increasingly engaged in describing
ethical complexity in their everyday work, exemplified by
concepts such as "dark patterns" and "dark UX." In parallel,
researchers have shown how interactions and discourses in online
communities allow access to the various dimensions of design
complexity in practice. In this paper, we conducted a content
analysis of the subreddit "/r/assholedesign," identifying how
users on Reddit engage in conversation about ethical concerns.
We identify what types of artifacts are shared, and the salient
ethical concerns that community members link with "asshole"
behaviors. Based on our analysis, we propose properties that
describe "asshole designers," both distinct and in relation to
dark patterns, and point towards an anthropomorphization of
ethics that foregrounds the inscription of designer's values
into designed outcomes. We conclude with opportunities for
further engagement with ethical complexity in online and offline
contexts, stimulating ethics-focused conversations among social
media users and design practitioners.},
note = {Awarded Honorable Mention, top 5%},
keywords = {Asshole Design, Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Reddit, Social Media},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
ethical complexity in their everyday work, exemplified by
concepts such as "dark patterns" and "dark UX." In parallel,
researchers have shown how interactions and discourses in online
communities allow access to the various dimensions of design
complexity in practice. In this paper, we conducted a content
analysis of the subreddit "/r/assholedesign," identifying how
users on Reddit engage in conversation about ethical concerns.
We identify what types of artifacts are shared, and the salient
ethical concerns that community members link with "asshole"
behaviors. Based on our analysis, we propose properties that
describe "asshole designers," both distinct and in relation to
dark patterns, and point towards an anthropomorphization of
ethics that foregrounds the inscription of designer's values
into designed outcomes. We conclude with opportunities for
further engagement with ethical complexity in online and offline
contexts, stimulating ethics-focused conversations among social
media users and design practitioners.
2019
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Gray, Colin M; Brier, Jason A
Analyzing Value Discovery in Design Decisions Through Ethicography Honorable Mention Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, ACM, New York, NY, USA, 2019, (Awarded Best of CHI Honorable Mention, top 5%).
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Chivukula2019-xb,
title = {Analyzing Value Discovery in Design Decisions Through Ethicography},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Colin M Gray and Jason A Brier},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019_ChivukulaGrayBrier_CHI_ValueDiscoveryEthicography.pdf},
doi = {10.1145/3290605.3300307},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-01},
urldate = {2019-05-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems},
publisher = {ACM},
address = {New York, NY, USA},
series = {CHI '19},
abstract = {HCI scholarship is increasingly concerned with the ethical
impact of socio-technical systems. Current theoretically-driven
approaches that engage with ethics generally prescribe only
abstract approaches by which designers might consider values in
the design process. However, there is little guidance on methods
that promote value discovery, which might lead to more specific
examples of relevant values in specific design contexts. In this
paper, we elaborate a method for value discovery, identifying
how values impact the designer's decision making. We demonstrate
the use of this method, called Ethicography, in describing value
discovery and use throughout the design process. We present
analysis of design activity by user experience (UX) design
students in two lab protocol conditions, describing specific
human values that designers considered for each task, and
visualizing the interplay of these values. We identify
opportunities for further research, using the Ethicograph method
to illustrate value discovery and translation into design
solutions.},
note = {Awarded Best of CHI Honorable Mention, top 5%},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
impact of socio-technical systems. Current theoretically-driven
approaches that engage with ethics generally prescribe only
abstract approaches by which designers might consider values in
the design process. However, there is little guidance on methods
that promote value discovery, which might lead to more specific
examples of relevant values in specific design contexts. In this
paper, we elaborate a method for value discovery, identifying
how values impact the designer's decision making. We demonstrate
the use of this method, called Ethicography, in describing value
discovery and use throughout the design process. We present
analysis of design activity by user experience (UX) design
students in two lab protocol conditions, describing specific
human values that designers considered for each task, and
visualizing the interplay of these values. We identify
opportunities for further research, using the Ethicograph method
to illustrate value discovery and translation into design
solutions.
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai
Ethical Mediation in UX Practice Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI '19, ACM Press, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@inproceedings{Gray2019-ep,
title = {Ethical Mediation in UX Practice},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300408},
doi = {10.1145/3290605.3300408},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems - CHI '19},
publisher = {ACM Press},
abstract = {HCI scholars have become increasingly interested in describing
the complex nature of UX practice. In parallel, HCI and STS
scholars have sought to describe the ethical and value- laden
relationship between designers and design outcomes. However,
little research describes the ethical engagement of UX
practitioners as a form of design complexity, including the
multiple mediating factors that impact ethical awareness and
decision-making. In this paper, we use a practice-led approach
to describe ethical complexity, presenting three varied cases of
UX practitioners based on in situ observations and interviews.
In each case, we describe salient factors relating to ethical
mediation, including organizational practices, self-driven
ethical principles, and unique characteristics of specific
projects the practitioner is engaged in. Using the concept of
mediation from activity theory, we provide a rich account of
practitioners' ethical decision making. We pro- pose future work
on ethical awareness and design education based on the concept
of ethical mediation.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
the complex nature of UX practice. In parallel, HCI and STS
scholars have sought to describe the ethical and value- laden
relationship between designers and design outcomes. However,
little research describes the ethical engagement of UX
practitioners as a form of design complexity, including the
multiple mediating factors that impact ethical awareness and
decision-making. In this paper, we use a practice-led approach
to describe ethical complexity, presenting three varied cases of
UX practitioners based on in situ observations and interviews.
In each case, we describe salient factors relating to ethical
mediation, including organizational practices, self-driven
ethical principles, and unique characteristics of specific
projects the practitioner is engaged in. Using the concept of
mediation from activity theory, we provide a rich account of
practitioners' ethical decision making. We pro- pose future work
on ethical awareness and design education based on the concept
of ethical mediation.
Watkins, Chris; Chivukula, Shruthi S; McKay, Lucca; Gray, Colin M
"Nothing Comes Before Profit": Asshole Design in the Wild Proceedings Article
In: CHI EA '19: CHI'19 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. LBW1314, 2019.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Asshole Design, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, Reddit, Social Media, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Watkins2019-yb,
title = {"Nothing Comes Before Profit": Asshole Design in the Wild},
author = {Chris Watkins and Shruthi S Chivukula and Lucca McKay and Colin M Gray},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2019_ChivukulaWatkinsMcKayGray_CHI_LBW_AssholeDesignintheWild.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3290607.3312863},
doi = {10.1145/3290607.3312863},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {CHI EA '19: CHI'19 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
pages = {LBW1314},
keywords = {Asshole Design, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, Reddit, Social Media, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Gray, Colin M; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai
Engaging Design Students in Value Discovery as "Everyday Ethicists" Proceedings Article
In: Dialogue: Proceedings of the AIGA Design Educators Community Conferences, pp. 187–189, AIGA Design Educators Community, 2019.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Gray2019-ez,
title = {Engaging Design Students in Value Discovery as "Everyday Ethicists"},
author = {Colin M Gray and Shruthi Sai Chivukula},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/mpub.11688977},
doi = {10.3998/mpub.11688977},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
booktitle = {Dialogue: Proceedings of the AIGA Design Educators Community Conferences},
volume = {(Decipher, Vol. 1)},
pages = {187--189},
publisher = {AIGA Design Educators Community},
abstract = {In creating the not-yet-existing, the designer takes on a
substantial weight of responsibility not only for the present
use of a designed artifact or experience but also the
potential futures that these artifacts or experiences may
potentially embody. In this way, design activity can be viewed
as always already being linked to social change, mediated
through the character of the designer. In this conversation,
we seek to explore how design activity—in particular, the
education of designers—might celebrate this ethical
responsibility as a form of activism that inherently
celebrates and embodies a certain set of social values while
simultaneously excluding other possible social values. We
advocate for a repositioning of the role of values and ethics
in relation to design activity, seeing ethical concerns not as
a constraint or barrier to action but rather as a generative
driver of design concepts through the process of value
discovery.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Education, Ethics and Values, Studio Pedagogy, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
substantial weight of responsibility not only for the present
use of a designed artifact or experience but also the
potential futures that these artifacts or experiences may
potentially embody. In this way, design activity can be viewed
as always already being linked to social change, mediated
through the character of the designer. In this conversation,
we seek to explore how design activity—in particular, the
education of designers—might celebrate this ethical
responsibility as a form of activism that inherently
celebrates and embodies a certain set of social values while
simultaneously excluding other possible social values. We
advocate for a repositioning of the role of values and ethics
in relation to design activity, seeing ethical concerns not as
a constraint or barrier to action but rather as a generative
driver of design concepts through the process of value
discovery.
2018
Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Brier, Jason A; Gray, Colin M
Dark Intentions or Persuasion?: UX Designers' Activation of Stakeholder and User Values Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2018 ACM Conference Companion Publication on Designing Interactive Systems, pp. 87–91, ACM, Hong Kong, China, 2018, ISBN: 9781450356312.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Chivukula2018-hz,
title = {Dark Intentions or Persuasion?: UX Designers' Activation of Stakeholder and User Values},
author = {Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Jason A Brier and Colin M Gray},
url = {http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=3197391.3205417},
doi = {10.1145/3197391.3205417},
isbn = {9781450356312},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-05-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2018 ACM Conference Companion Publication on Designing Interactive Systems},
pages = {87--91},
publisher = {ACM},
address = {Hong Kong, China},
series = {DIS '18 Companion},
abstract = {Formalized frameworks that reference ethics and values
have received increasing attention in the HCI community.
These methods emphasize the importance of values in
relation to design but provide little guidance to reveal
the values that are present or have impact on designers'
decision making. In this work-inprogress, we identify the
values considered by student UX designers when conducting
an authentic design task, allowing for interrogation of
the possible intentions that underlie their decision
making. Our exploratory analysis revealed that
participants had sensitivity towards user values, but
often contradicted these values through dark, often tacit,
intentions to persuade users, thereby achieving
stakeholder goals. We provide provocations for future
research on the role of ethics and values in practice and
design education.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
have received increasing attention in the HCI community.
These methods emphasize the importance of values in
relation to design but provide little guidance to reveal
the values that are present or have impact on designers'
decision making. In this work-inprogress, we identify the
values considered by student UX designers when conducting
an authentic design task, allowing for interrogation of
the possible intentions that underlie their decision
making. Our exploratory analysis revealed that
participants had sensitivity towards user values, but
often contradicted these values through dark, often tacit,
intentions to persuade users, thereby achieving
stakeholder goals. We provide provocations for future
research on the role of ethics and values in practice and
design education.
Fansher, Madison; Chivukula, Shruthi Sai; Gray, Colin M
#darkpatterns: UX Practitioner Conversations About Ethical Design Proceedings Article
In: Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. LBW082, ACM, Montreal QC, Canada, 2018, ISBN: 9781450356213.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Fansher2018-au,
title = {#darkpatterns: UX Practitioner Conversations About Ethical Design},
author = {Madison Fansher and Shruthi Sai Chivukula and Colin M Gray},
url = {http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=3170427.3188553},
doi = {10.1145/3170427.3188553},
isbn = {9781450356213},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-04-01},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
pages = {LBW082},
publisher = {ACM},
address = {Montreal QC, Canada},
abstract = {There is increasing interest in the role that ethics plays
in UX practice, however current guidance is largely driven
by formalized frameworks and does not adequately describe
``on the ground'' practitioner conversations regarding
ethics. In this late-breaking work, we identified and
described conversations about a specific ethical
phenomenon on Twitter using the hashtag #darkpatterns. We
then determined the authors of these tweets and analyzed
the types of artifacts or links they shared. We found that
UX practitioners were most likely to share tweets with
this hashtag, and that a majority of tweets either
mentioned an artifact or ``shames'' an organization that
engages in manipulative UX practices. We identify
implications for building an enhanced understanding of
pragmatist ethics from a practitioner perspective.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
in UX practice, however current guidance is largely driven
by formalized frameworks and does not adequately describe
``on the ground'' practitioner conversations regarding
ethics. In this late-breaking work, we identified and
described conversations about a specific ethical
phenomenon on Twitter using the hashtag #darkpatterns. We
then determined the authors of these tweets and analyzed
the types of artifacts or links they shared. We found that
UX practitioners were most likely to share tweets with
this hashtag, and that a majority of tweets either
mentioned an artifact or ``shames'' an organization that
engages in manipulative UX practices. We identify
implications for building an enhanced understanding of
pragmatist ethics from a practitioner perspective.
Gray, Colin M; Boling, Elizabeth
Designers' articulation and activation of instrumental design judgements in cross-cultural user research Journal Article
In: CoDesign, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 79–97, 2018, ISSN: 1571-0882, 1745-3755.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@article{Gray2018-cf,
title = {Designers' articulation and activation of instrumental design judgements in cross-cultural user research},
author = {Colin M Gray and Elizabeth Boling},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/15710882.2017.1393546},
doi = {10.1080/15710882.2017.1393546},
issn = {1571-0882, 1745-3755},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
journal = {CoDesign},
volume = {14},
number = {2},
pages = {79--97},
publisher = {Taylor & Francis},
abstract = {AbstractCross-cultural design practices have begun to rise in
prominence, but these practices have infrequently intersected
with common user-centred design practices that value the
participation and lived experience of users. In this paper, we
analyse a shared data-set that documented the efforts of a
Scandinavian design team as they designed a co-creation workshop
with Chinese consumers. We identified how the design team
referred to workshop participants, focusing on how these
references implicated the design team?s understanding of Chinese
culture. We identified referents to the participants to locate
projection of and reflection on participant interaction, and
performed a thematic analysis of design and debrief activities
to document the team?s articulation and activation of
instrumental judgements relating to culture. The team?s
instrumental judgements shifted over time, moving from
totalising cultural references in the design phase to frequent
translator-mediated interactions in the debrief phase.
Translators ?nuanced? the cultural meanings being explored by
the design team, while team members attempted to engage with
cultural concerns by ?making familiar? these concerns within the
context of their own culture. Implications for considering
culture as a part of standard user research methods and
paradigms are considered, along with practical considerations
for foregrounding cultural assumptions in design activity.},
keywords = {Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
prominence, but these practices have infrequently intersected
with common user-centred design practices that value the
participation and lived experience of users. In this paper, we
analyse a shared data-set that documented the efforts of a
Scandinavian design team as they designed a co-creation workshop
with Chinese consumers. We identified how the design team
referred to workshop participants, focusing on how these
references implicated the design team?s understanding of Chinese
culture. We identified referents to the participants to locate
projection of and reflection on participant interaction, and
performed a thematic analysis of design and debrief activities
to document the team?s articulation and activation of
instrumental judgements relating to culture. The team?s
instrumental judgements shifted over time, moving from
totalising cultural references in the design phase to frequent
translator-mediated interactions in the debrief phase.
Translators ?nuanced? the cultural meanings being explored by
the design team, while team members attempted to engage with
cultural concerns by ?making familiar? these concerns within the
context of their own culture. Implications for considering
culture as a part of standard user research methods and
paradigms are considered, along with practical considerations
for foregrounding cultural assumptions in design activity.
Gray, Colin M; Toombs, Austin L; Light, Ann; Vines, John
Editorial: Ethics, Values, and Designer Responsibility Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Research Society, Design Research Society, Shannon, Ireland, 2018.
Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Gray2018-bx,
title = {Editorial: Ethics, Values, and Designer Responsibility},
author = {Colin M Gray and Austin L Toombs and Ann Light and John Vines},
url = {https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10064084},
doi = {10.21606/dma.2018.003},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Research Society},
volume = {1},
publisher = {Design Research Society},
address = {Shannon, Ireland},
keywords = {Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Gray, Colin M
Revealing Students' Ethical Awareness during Problem Framing Journal Article
In: International Journal of Art & Design Education, vol. 96, no. Dorst 2011, pp. 359, 2018, ISSN: 1476-8062.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values
@article{Gray2018-re,
title = {Revealing Students' Ethical Awareness during Problem Framing},
author = {Colin M Gray},
url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/jade.12190},
doi = {10.1111/jade.12190},
issn = {1476-8062},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
journal = {International Journal of Art & Design Education},
volume = {96},
number = {Dorst 2011},
pages = {359},
publisher = {Wiley Online Library},
abstract = {Abstract Expert designers determine what problem needs to be
solved by creating a frame that allows the identification of
potential solutions. However, it is unclear how students learn
to generate these frames effectively, particularly in relation
to ethical decision-making and selecting appropriate
constraints. In this study, undergraduate and graduate
industrial design students at a large Midwestern United States
university participated in a one-day workshop that focused on designing products for natives of sub-Saharan Africa to sell in their home nations. Participants (n=100) worked in 21 teams to
generate a range of constraints and problem statements while
being scaffolded by instructions, research materials and
worksheets. Teams struggled to identify specific use contexts
and users, even though these elements were present in relatively
complex form in provided research materials. Students appeared
to build distance between their own experiences and that of
users they were designing for, leading to little awareness of
the ethical and normative commitments that were reified in their
problem statements and solutions. Implications for the explicit
development of an ethically aware design character in design
education are considered.},
keywords = {Design Education, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
solved by creating a frame that allows the identification of
potential solutions. However, it is unclear how students learn
to generate these frames effectively, particularly in relation
to ethical decision-making and selecting appropriate
constraints. In this study, undergraduate and graduate
industrial design students at a large Midwestern United States
university participated in a one-day workshop that focused on designing products for natives of sub-Saharan Africa to sell in their home nations. Participants (n=100) worked in 21 teams to
generate a range of constraints and problem statements while
being scaffolded by instructions, research materials and
worksheets. Teams struggled to identify specific use contexts
and users, even though these elements were present in relatively
complex form in provided research materials. Students appeared
to build distance between their own experiences and that of
users they were designing for, leading to little awareness of
the ethical and normative commitments that were reified in their
problem statements and solutions. Implications for the explicit
development of an ethically aware design character in design
education are considered.
Gray, Colin M; Kou, Yubo; Battles, Bryan; Hoggatt, Joseph; Toombs, Austin L
The Dark (Patterns) Side of UX Design Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 534:1–534:14, ACM, Montreal QC, Canada, 2018, ISBN: 9781450356206.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Dark Patterns, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge
@inproceedings{Gray2018-or,
title = {The Dark (Patterns) Side of UX Design},
author = {Colin M Gray and Yubo Kou and Bryan Battles and Joseph Hoggatt and Austin L Toombs},
url = {http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/3173574.3174108},
doi = {10.1145/3173574.3174108},
isbn = {9781450356206},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems},
pages = {534:1--534:14},
publisher = {ACM},
address = {Montreal QC, Canada},
institution = {ACM},
series = {CHI '18},
abstract = {Interest in critical scholarship that engages with the
complexity of user experience (UX) practice is rapidly
expanding, yet the vocabulary for describing and assessing
criticality in practice is currently lacking. In this paper,
we outline and explore the limits of a specific ethical
phenomenon known as ``dark patterns,'' where user value is
supplanted in favor of shareholder value. We assembled a
corpus of examples of practitioner-identified dark patterns
and performed a content analysis to determine the ethical
concerns contained in these examples. This analysis revealed a
wide range of ethical issues raised by practitioners that were
frequently conflated under the umbrella term of dark patterns,
while also underscoring a shared concern that UX designers
could easily become complicit in manipulative or unreasonably
persuasive practices. We conclude with implications for the
education and practice of UX designers, and a proposal for
broadening research on the ethics of user experience.},
keywords = {Dark Patterns, Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research, UX Knowledge},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
complexity of user experience (UX) practice is rapidly
expanding, yet the vocabulary for describing and assessing
criticality in practice is currently lacking. In this paper,
we outline and explore the limits of a specific ethical
phenomenon known as ``dark patterns,'' where user value is
supplanted in favor of shareholder value. We assembled a
corpus of examples of practitioner-identified dark patterns
and performed a content analysis to determine the ethical
concerns contained in these examples. This analysis revealed a
wide range of ethical issues raised by practitioners that were
frequently conflated under the umbrella term of dark patterns,
while also underscoring a shared concern that UX designers
could easily become complicit in manipulative or unreasonably
persuasive practices. We conclude with implications for the
education and practice of UX designers, and a proposal for
broadening research on the ethics of user experience.
2017
Gray, Colin M; Boling, Elizabeth
Designers' Articulation and Activation of Instrumental Design Judgments in Cross-Cultural User Research Book Chapter
In: Christensen, Bo T; Ball, Linden J; Halskov, Kim (Ed.): Analysing Design Thinking: Studies of Cross-Cultural Co-Creation, pp. 191–214, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2017.
BibTeX | Tags: Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@inbook{Gray2017-dx,
title = {Designers' Articulation and Activation of Instrumental Design Judgments in Cross-Cultural User Research},
author = {Colin M Gray and Elizabeth Boling},
editor = {Bo T Christensen and Linden J Ball and Kim Halskov},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-01-01},
booktitle = {Analysing Design Thinking: Studies of Cross-Cultural Co-Creation},
pages = {191--214},
publisher = {CRC Press},
address = {Boca Raton, FL},
keywords = {Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
2016
Gray, Colin M; Boling, Elizabeth
Inscribing ethics and values in designs for learning: a problematic Journal Article
In: Educational technology research and development: ETR & D, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 969–1001, 2016, ISSN: 1042-1629, 1556-6501.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Pedagogy, Ethics and Values
@article{Gray2016-mp,
title = {Inscribing ethics and values in designs for learning: a problematic},
author = {Colin M Gray and Elizabeth Boling},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9478-x},
doi = {10.1007/s11423-016-9478-x},
issn = {1042-1629, 1556-6501},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-10-01},
journal = {Educational technology research and development: ETR & D},
volume = {64},
number = {5},
pages = {969--1001},
publisher = {Springer},
abstract = {The exponential growth in technological capability has resulted
in increased interest on the short- and long-term effects of
designed artifacts, leading to a focus in many design fields on
the ethics and values that are inscribed in the designs we
create. While ethical awareness is a key concern in many
engineering, technology, and design disciplines---even an
accreditation requirement in many fields---instructional design
and technology (IDT) has not historically focused their view of
practice on ethics, instead relying on a more scientistic view
of practice which artificially limits the designer's interaction
with the surrounding society through the artifacts and
experiences they design. In this paper, we argue for a
heightened view of designer responsibility and design process in
an ethical framing, drawing on methods and theoretical
frameworks of ethical responsibility from the broader design
community. We then demonstrate the frequency of ethical concerns
that emerge in a content analysis of design cases that document
authentic instructional design practice. We conclude with two
paths forward to improve instructional design education and
research regarding the nature of practice, advocating for
increased documentation of design precedent to generatively
complicate our notions of the design process, and for the
creation and use of critical designs to foreground ethical and
value-related concerns in IDT research and practice.},
keywords = {Critical Pedagogy, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
in increased interest on the short- and long-term effects of
designed artifacts, leading to a focus in many design fields on
the ethics and values that are inscribed in the designs we
create. While ethical awareness is a key concern in many
engineering, technology, and design disciplines---even an
accreditation requirement in many fields---instructional design
and technology (IDT) has not historically focused their view of
practice on ethics, instead relying on a more scientistic view
of practice which artificially limits the designer's interaction
with the surrounding society through the artifacts and
experiences they design. In this paper, we argue for a
heightened view of designer responsibility and design process in
an ethical framing, drawing on methods and theoretical
frameworks of ethical responsibility from the broader design
community. We then demonstrate the frequency of ethical concerns
that emerge in a content analysis of design cases that document
authentic instructional design practice. We conclude with two
paths forward to improve instructional design education and
research regarding the nature of practice, advocating for
increased documentation of design precedent to generatively
complicate our notions of the design process, and for the
creation and use of critical designs to foreground ethical and
value-related concerns in IDT research and practice.
Gray, Colin M; Boling, Elizabeth
Designers' Articulation and Activation of Instrumental Design Judgments in Cross-Cultural User Research Proceedings Article
In: DTRS'11: 11th annual Design Thinking Research Symposium, pp. 19 pp., Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, DK, 2016.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research
@inproceedings{Gray2016-eo,
title = {Designers' Articulation and Activation of Instrumental Design Judgments in Cross-Cultural User Research},
author = {Colin M Gray and Elizabeth Boling},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2016_GrayBoling_DTRS11_CrossCulturalJudgments.pdf},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-10-01},
booktitle = {DTRS'11: 11th annual Design Thinking Research Symposium},
pages = {19 pp.},
publisher = {Copenhagen Business School},
address = {Copenhagen, DK},
abstract = {Cross-cultural design practices have begun to rise in prominence, but these practices have infrequently intersected with common user-centered design practices that value the participation and lived experience of users. We identified the ways in which the design team referred to co-creation workshop participants during the design and debrief of the workshop, focusing on how these references invoked or implicated the design team’s understanding of Chinese culture. We identified referents to the participants, using occurrence of third-person plural pronouns to locate projection of and reflection on participant interaction. In parallel, we performed a thematic analysis of design and debrief activities to document the team’s articulation and activation of instrumental judgments relating to culture.
The team’s instrumental judgments shifted substantially across the design and debrief session, moving from totalizing cultural references in the design phase to frequent translator- mediated interactions in the debrief phase. Translators “nuanced” the cultural meanings being explored by the design team, while team members attempted to engage with cultural concerns by “making familiar” these concerns within the context of their own culture. Implications for considering culture as a part of standard user research methods and paradigms are considered, along with practical considerations for foregrounding cultural assumptions in design activity.},
keywords = {Ethics and Values, Practice-Led Research},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
The team’s instrumental judgments shifted substantially across the design and debrief session, moving from totalizing cultural references in the design phase to frequent translator- mediated interactions in the debrief phase. Translators “nuanced” the cultural meanings being explored by the design team, while team members attempted to engage with cultural concerns by “making familiar” these concerns within the context of their own culture. Implications for considering culture as a part of standard user research methods and paradigms are considered, along with practical considerations for foregrounding cultural assumptions in design activity.
Gray, Colin M; de Debs, Luciana Cresce El; Exter, Marisa; Krause, Terri S
Instructional Strategies for Incorporating Empathy in Transdisciplinary Technology Education Proceedings Article
In: 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings, ASEE Conferences, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Education, Empathy, Ethics and Values, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education
@inproceedings{Gray2016-rd,
title = {Instructional Strategies for Incorporating Empathy in Transdisciplinary Technology Education},
author = {Colin M Gray and Luciana Cresce El de Debs and Marisa Exter and Terri S Krause},
url = {http://peer.asee.org/25746
https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2016_Grayetal_ASEE_EmpathyinTransdisciplinary.pdf},
doi = {10.18260/p.25746},
year = {2016},
date = {2016-01-01},
booktitle = {2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings},
volume = {2016-June},
publisher = {ASEE Conferences},
address = {New Orleans, Louisiana},
abstract = {In the past decade, there has been an increasing focus on the ethical content of designed artifacts, including the ways in which engineers and technologists are responsible for considering ethical issues relating to the end user or context for which they are designing. Creating sustainable post- secondary ethics education has been an increasing focus in engineering and technology education scholarship, with the goal of developing students’ ability to understand and make ethically-sound design decisions through evidence-based instructional strategies.
In this study, we focus on the ways in which a transdisciplinary educational experience might encourage the development of empathic ability by documenting the activities of undergraduate technology students as they sought to develop an off-the-grid toilet for the “developing” world. Students were exposed to multiple instructional strategies that encouraged them to reconsider their notion of “difference” as it might apply to their semester-long design project. We present several themes of instructional strategies that emerged from instructors and students, and contextualize these strategies in relation to the students’ development of empathic ability. The students in this course struggled to develop empathy that had practical implications for their design activity, suggesting the need for a larger shift in the ability of students to create empathically-driven action. We found that a substantial change in empathic ability also requires a certain amount of vulnerability and ability to position-take (i.e., taking the position of another), indicating the need for “safe spaces” that challenge student perspectives while also encouraging trust and honesty.},
keywords = {Design Education, Empathy, Ethics and Values, Transdisciplinarity, Transdisciplinary Education},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In this study, we focus on the ways in which a transdisciplinary educational experience might encourage the development of empathic ability by documenting the activities of undergraduate technology students as they sought to develop an off-the-grid toilet for the “developing” world. Students were exposed to multiple instructional strategies that encouraged them to reconsider their notion of “difference” as it might apply to their semester-long design project. We present several themes of instructional strategies that emerged from instructors and students, and contextualize these strategies in relation to the students’ development of empathic ability. The students in this course struggled to develop empathy that had practical implications for their design activity, suggesting the need for a larger shift in the ability of students to create empathically-driven action. We found that a substantial change in empathic ability also requires a certain amount of vulnerability and ability to position-take (i.e., taking the position of another), indicating the need for “safe spaces” that challenge student perspectives while also encouraging trust and honesty.
2015
Boling, Elizabeth; Gray, Colin M
Designerly Tools, Sketching, and Instructional Designers and the Guarantors of Design Book Chapter
In: Hokanson, Brad; Clinton, Gregory; Tracey, Monica W (Ed.): The Design of Learning Experience: Creating the Future of Educational Technology, pp. 109-126, Springer International Publishing, Cham, 2015, ISBN: 9783319165042.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design
@inbook{Boling2015-cu,
title = {Designerly Tools, Sketching, and Instructional Designers and the Guarantors of Design},
author = {Elizabeth Boling and Colin M Gray},
editor = {Brad Hokanson and Gregory Clinton and Monica W Tracey},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2015_BolingGray_LearningExperiences_DesignerlyToolsSketchingID.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16504-2_8},
doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-16504-2_8},
isbn = {9783319165042},
year = {2015},
date = {2015-01-01},
booktitle = {The Design of Learning Experience: Creating the Future of Educational Technology},
pages = {109-126},
publisher = {Springer International Publishing},
address = {Cham},
abstract = {Sketching can be a means to visualize learning objects and experiences differently than is possible in text-based representations. In particular, the experien- tial qualities of designed experiences can be explored using sketching as a tool and may not be accessible to designers via other means. If designers are to assume appropriate responsibility for our designs, to be the guarantors of design, our toolkit must expand. Examples are given of the ways in which sketching, as a flexible skill, may be used to represent designs for learning, together with discussion of how instructional designers would need to be able to think about these sketches in order to use them as tools.},
keywords = {Design Knowledge, Ethics and Values, Instructional Design},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
2014
Gray, Colin M; Howard, Craig D
Externalizing Normativity in Design Reviews: Inscribing Design Values in Designed Artifacts Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Design Thinking Research Symposium, 2014.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critique, Design Education, Ethics and Values
@inproceedings{Gray2014d,
title = {Externalizing Normativity in Design Reviews: Inscribing Design Values in Designed Artifacts},
author = {Colin M Gray and Craig D Howard},
url = {https://colingray.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2014_GrayHoward_DTRS_ExternalizingNormativity.pdf},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-11-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Design Thinking Research Symposium},
abstract = {The design community has discussed issues of ethics and values for decades, but less attention has been paid to the question of how an ethical sensibility might be developed or taken on by design students. In this analysis, we explore how normative concerns emerge through the process of design reviews—where a developing designer’s normative infrastructure is engaged with the artifact they are designing. We focused on the normative concerns that were foregrounded by two undergraduate and two graduate industrial design students across a series of five design reviews, addressing the possible relationship between the emergence of normative concerns and the inscription of norms in the final designed artifact. We used several critical qualitative techniques, including sequence analysis and meaning reconstruction to locate areas where normative concerns were addressed.
Normative concerns only arose in explicit form in the earliest review sessions on the graduate level, if they were going to arise at all, and end-user research appeared to be the primary mechanism for introducing norms into the design process. Neither instructor actively engaged or foregrounded the normative infrastructure of the design students, and all of the normative concerns discussed in the four cases were brought to the conversation by students. Implications for including awareness of normative concerns as part of a student’s developing design character are considered as part of a systemic approach to ethics and values in design education.},
keywords = {Critique, Design Education, Ethics and Values},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Normative concerns only arose in explicit form in the earliest review sessions on the graduate level, if they were going to arise at all, and end-user research appeared to be the primary mechanism for introducing norms into the design process. Neither instructor actively engaged or foregrounded the normative infrastructure of the design students, and all of the normative concerns discussed in the four cases were brought to the conversation by students. Implications for including awareness of normative concerns as part of a student’s developing design character are considered as part of a systemic approach to ethics and values in design education.