What 96 Designers Taught Us About Harm: The Behaviors Around Considering Harm in Digital Products

• Lexi Namer

  Mayo Clinic

  Author

• Sharon Joines, PhD

  North Carolina State University

  Author

Potential harm within digital product design has long been underexplored, despite the growing influence that consumer-facing digital products exert on individuals’ daily lives. This paper presents the methodology and findings from an online survey conducted with 96 US-based UX and product designers working on customer-facing digital products. The survey focused on the attitudes, behaviors, challenges, and needs that designers encounter while considering harm in their daily work. Our findings led to several recommendations for future research to develop practice-based design solutions that enable designers to more effectively identify, discuss, and mitigate potential harm arising from their work.

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1. Lexi Namer, Mayo Clinic

   Lexi Namer received her master’s from the UNC School of Journalism and Media and is currently a Doctoral Design candidate at the NC State College of Design. Her research focuses on harm-aware digital design, and she works as a design manager at a nonprofit healthcare organization.

2. Sharon Joines, PhD, North Carolina State University

   Sharon Joines received her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD in Industrial Engineering from NC State. A Professor of Industrial Design and Associate Dean for Academic Strategy, Sharon has a passion for improving the quality of life in the workplace. Her recent research has focused on transdisciplinary collaboration.