design - axbom

Why I avoid using Zoom for meetings

Zoom is a nine-year old company with growing pains. When I mention that I don’t use Zoom people tend to respond: “well they’ve fixed all their problems now”

digital ethics

Video and transcript from my talk at UX Copenhagen

My talk from UX Copenhagen earlier this year – First, design no harm – is now online. It’s an emotional talk that takes its start in a story of abuse and

surveillance

Embed YouTube videos without cookies

Many companies, media outlets and bloggers enjoy sharing YouTube videos on their sites. The problem is that YouTube sets a tracking cookie (for marketing purposes) by default. This poses all

digital ethics

Digital Ethics – The Mindmap

This mindmap is a work in progress. It helps me create the syllabus for my course Ethics in Design, as well as outline corporate workshops. It helps to draw from

digital ethics

The slavery supported by that device in your pocket

When I look at my phone I think about slavery. I think about modern day slavery, perpetuated by the wealth and power that historic slavery facilitated. I think about how

digital ethics

First, design no harm – Q&A

Still image from my talk.At UX Copenhagen 2020 I delivered my new talk “First, design no harm”. It’s an emotional talk that starts off with my own experiences

digital ethics

Managing Consequences of Design

The Ethical Design HandbookI’ve just finished reading The Ethical Design Handbook and am both brimming with new ideas and am more hopeful about the future. The authors bring new

accessibility

How to help events become more inclusive

Organizers have a lot on their mind, and so do people who struggle to feel welcome and cope with obstacles at events. As attendees and speakers we have the power to support and unburden others.

digital ethics

Digital Compassion: A Human Act

The date was September 26, 1983. I was nine years old. Stanislav Petrov was 44 years old. Around my age today. He was working his second straight shift in the

design

Introducing the Inclusive Panda

As part of my work on practical methods for integrating ethics thinking into your design process I am producing a set of templates and worksheets. My intent is to encourage ethical, sustainable and inclusive design in all organizations by providing clear and simple guidance

design

AMP Letter

The openness of the world wide web has been formative to my career, my ability to express myself and my insights about the world around me. Aware of how seminal the Internet can be in stimulating equality I am committed to combat any threat

design

Confirmshaming - the art of insulting your target group

Many of us have come to despise them: the intrusive, unsolicited subscription forms promising you the holy grail of insights and knowledge. But the imaginative rudeness of how companies push people into signing up has grown into a competition delving into extreme depths of

axbom

axbom.com — 20 years old

A short film I made to commemorate the anniversary of my first axbom domain purchase. I had no idea what a fantastic adventure I had embarked on.

design

Misusability update #2

Misusability under every rock When writing a book on misguided digital design you are obviously primed to find content that supports your case. And right now I feel overwhelmed by the many examples out there of people being harmed by digital services and how

dark patterns

What social platforms could do to fight online harassment

When I claim that online harassment happens by design I am often met with raised eyebrows. I am not saying that it’s the intent of designers to encourage harassment, but I am saying that it’s what the resulting design is doing. It

dark patterns

Mailchimp backtracks on all their recommendations, enforcing single opt-in

Like millions of others I have used Mailchimp for many years to send out e-mail updates to subscribers. Their freemium business model and quirky monkey mascot have contributed to them growing into the Internet’s largest platform for company newsletters. Yesterday, out of the

design

Misusability update #1

Your impact on people and planet When I tell people I am writing a book about ethics in digital design many assume that it is a book about dark patterns. While there undoubtedly will be overlap I am more interested in

design

The Hidden Persuaders of the Digital Age

Thank you to everyone who attended my talk on the topic of ethics in design at EuroIA. I am hugely thankful for the opportunity. I am seeing more and more digital solutions that contribute to negative impact, putting people and planet in harm’

design

Is GPS data in your photo good or bad?

I love data and I love the Internet. Because I love people. So much good stuff happens as we have access to more knowledge and more people to interact with around the globe. When we use data to enhance our artefacts we also make

design

The Crazy World of Superhero Film Rights

As I was telling someone how Hugh Jackman would have loved to do another movie as Wolverine teaming up with the Avengers they exclaimed: “But Wolverine isn’t Marvel!” This set me off drawing up a map of the different film

design

How to delete unroll.me and revoke their access to your e-mail

In reports coming out about how the unsubscription service unroll.me has been selling your data to Uber, it has become glaringly clear that not only are they selling your data (which truly should not surprise you a great deal) but they are also

design

The happy fisher and the frustrated advisor

A fisher had finished work early and was sitting next to her boat on the beach. A wealthy business consultant walked by, clearly upset by seeing the woman displaying such laziness. “Why aren’t you out fishing?”, he inquired forcefully. The fisher responded: “Because

design

Ruckusmaker Day

In honor of Steve Jobs. As initiated by Seth Godin, on February 24 each year we celebrate annual Ruckusmaker Day. The first Ruckusmaker Day was celebrated on what would have been Steve Jobs’ 60th birthday. Your opinion matters Ruckus noun. The act of

design

Ling Valentine answers my questions about LingsCars

So I did an e-mail interview with Ling Valentine back in 2013 but I only published it on my Swedish blog. By popular demand, here is my post with Ling’s answers in English (which they of course originally were written in!). In

design

Trust. Can you build it?

All the signs say 2017 is bringing us into an era where UI:s no longer will be UI:s in the traditional sense. As the explosion of mobile devices and content chunking has rendered it nigh impossible to anticipate how a person will

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