Ethics is a critical topic at the moment. Many designers have noticed that—despite a lot of talk about user empathy in the last few years—the systems we've designed for ourselves don't seem to be operating in the interests of the humans using them. Business is focused on scaling and automating to realize magnificent efficiencies and grow shareholder value. Also, the planet is melting. How can designers get a handle on this immense complexity in order to create more ethical systems? By turning to stories. Narrative is how humans create social understanding of complicated situations in order to make decisions. Simply considering the user journey is no longer enough. In order to create a more humane and sustainable future, we need to consider the business story and the health of the environment as well. A useful abstraction can make the implications of our actions visible and manageable.
