Reflections on Human centred design considered harmful

Human centred design considered harmful – Jussi Pasanen

Many excellent points here and some points I don’t agree entirely with. But that is normal for me 😁

• To the point about human-centric and anthropocentric I completely agree. There is for example an opportunity to learn from amerindian perspectivism. Whereas western cultures see a river as a resource (for humans), another perspective would see it as a sibling. Which could be argued as more reasonable.
• I don’t believe capitalism is inherently maleficent, although it is far too easily a vehicle for greed - something humans excel at. It is a power that must be controlled and which currently is far too lacking when it comes to accountability for the harm it contributes to. Today there are many business-dominated political systems, wherein businesses themselves have far too much influence over the regulation that governs them. Recommended reading is The Future of Capitalism by Paul Collier.
• In my research into medical ethics, one of the topics I am intrigued by is allowing people to make decisions that are bad for themselves. It is not one person’s place to decide what is best for another. This would imply that some activities, such as gambling, are not necessarily unethical. If stakes are known, mechanics are transparent, potential losses understood, and alternative routes accessible - one could argue that it is still ethical to allow a person to make decisions that could be harmful to their own well-being.
• It’s not a straightforward topic but I do believe the conversation has started. Especially for me, after being given the opportunity of running a two-week ethics course at a vocational school program for the role of UX Designer. :)