Value-sensitive design

Abstract. This paper draws on the design process, implementation and early evaluation results of an urban screens network to highlight the tensions that emerge at the boundary between the technical and social aspects of design. While public interactive screens in urban spaces are widely researched, the newly emerging networks of such screens present fresh challenges. Researchers wishing to be led by a diverse user community may find that the priorities of some users, directly oppose the wishes of others. Previous literature suggests such tensions can be handled by 'goal balancing', where all requirements are reduced down to one set of essential, implementable attributes. Contrasting this, this paper's contribution is 'Tension Space Analysis', which broadens and extends existing work on Design Tensions. It includes new domains, new representational methods and offers a view on how to best reflect conflicting community requirements in some aspects or features of the design.

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“…[25, p. 413]. In Design Tensions, Tatar utilizes the older Value Sensitive Design methodology (and how it integrates value considerations) [26].…”

Section: Existing Work On Design Space and Design Tensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tension Space Analysis: Exploring Community Requirements for Networked Urban Screens

North

Schnädelbach

Schieck

et al. 2013

Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2013

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“…These decisions are not ethically neutral (Wood-Harper et al, 1996), and engineers must therefore endeavour to act as "moral agents" in the systems development process due to their proximity, knowledge and position of influence (Walsham, 1993), even if individual moral agency may be environmentally constrained (Conlon and Zandvoort, 2011). The personal values of systems engineers are consequently embedded in system designs and proliferate through system implementation artefacts and dissemination choices (Brey, 2000, Friedman, 1996. The decisions made by a few systems engineers therefore hold the potential to affect broad collectives of people who are impacted, on many levels, by technological systems development.…”

Section: Virtues Ethics Empathy and Systems Development Engineersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The decisions made by individual systems engineers in professional praxis are heavily influenced by personal values (Kumar and BjornAndersen, 1990), including decisions that hold broader ethical ramifications (Kreie and Cronan, 2000). The personal values of systems engineers are consequently embedded in system designs and proliferate through system implementation artefacts and dissemination choices (Brey, 2000, Friedman, 1996. These choices may be influenced or constrained by the culture in which the engineers work but they are, nevertheless, individual choices that affect other people's lives (Conlon and Zandvoort, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards empathy: a human-centred analysis of rationality, ethics and praxis in systems development

Carew

Stapleton

2013

AI & Soc

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Functionalism has long been the dominant paradigm in systems development practice. However, functionalism promotes an innate and immutable instrumental rationality that is indifferent to human values, rights, society, culture and international stability. It, in essence, lacks empathy. Although alternative paradigms have been promoted for decades in the systems development literature to help address this deficit, functionalism remains dominant. This paper reiterates the call for a fundamental paradigm shift away from myopic functionalism and towards a more empathic and human-centred philosophy. It argues that the human-centred tradition offers a philosophically compatible and mature approach that can be practically harnessed for promoting empathy in systems development. The paper investigates the potential of systems development to become truly human-centred using data originally collected as part of a multi-method critical-interpretive study of privacy in information systems development. Multiple methods are used for the data analysis presented, including principal components analysis, hierarchical clustering, Q methodology, and descriptive statistics. The multi-method analysis demonstrates a marked discreetness exists between human-centred sentiments and instrumentally rational ones in systems development praxis. The paper concludes by presenting recommendations on how human-centred values can be practically fostered and engaged to enable greater empathy in contemporary system development and strengthen international stability.

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“…No explicit attempts had been made to discover values that impinge on design until the first references to VSD appeared [16]. Since that time numerous publications have arisen in related areas [17,18,19].…”

Section: Value Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtuality Improves the Well Being of Seniors through Increasing Social Interaction

Burmeister

2010

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

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Abstract. Virtual social interaction amongst seniors is strengthened through face to face contact. While confirming previous studies that have shown the strengthening of virtual friendships result from physical meetings, this study also showed that virtual face to face meetings have a similar benefit. As more seniors around the world are encouraged to stay at home longer, rather than enter institutional care, virtual sociability is being shown to provide the necessary social inclusion benefits for particularly mental well being, that has been identified in psychological and sociological studies of seniors.

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Value-sensitive design

Cited by 624 publications

References 8 publications

Tension Space Analysis: Exploring Community Requirements for Networked Urban Screens

Tension Space Analysis: Exploring Community Requirements for Networked Urban Screens

Towards empathy: a human-centred analysis of rationality, ethics and praxis in systems development

Virtuality Improves the Well Being of Seniors through Increasing Social Interaction

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