The document discusses the importance and power of interface design. It argues that interfaces are critical because they define the rules that govern how people interact with technology and each other. As interfaces connect more people and things, interface designers take on more responsibility to consider ethics and universal rules when defining these interactions. The document urges designers to think beyond short-term goals of conversion or profit and to design in a way that makes it easier for people to do good.

1. Critical Interface Design
Caring about more, than paying the bills
Lutz Schmitt
WebExpo – Prague 2012
photo by wlodi on flickr.com cc-by-nc-3.0

2. Glad you made it!
Thank you for joining.

3. Let’s talk about:
interfaces
ethics
power
happiness
people
and us.

4. We all are designers

5. 2,3oo,ooo,ooo people access the internet
5,9oo,ooo,ooo mobile subscriptions
picture by facebook.com

6. starting point
Everything has an interface

7. the age of wonders
Everybody and everything is connected

8. thesis #1
The interface is everything
picture by inoxkrow on flickr.com cc-by-nd-2.0

9. beyond imagination
Nobody understands technology anymore.
Perception happens with the interfaces only
DESIGN FOR CONVERSION in a nutshell

10. conclusion
We design the most vital part of
the glue that keeps everything together
DESIGN FOR CONVERSION in a nutshell

11. picture by jasonscottmeans on flickr.com cc-by-nd-2.0

12. about our work

13. back in the days
We had quite a way to go, to understand how
these new media could used and made usable.

14. evolution of perspective
User experience (UX) is the way a person feels
about using a product, system or service

15. thesis #2
User experience design
is just educated marketing

16. picture by i5design on flickr.com cc-by-nd-2.0

17. business value user
Creating valuable user experiences

18. opportunity space

19. opportunity space

20. conclusion
Most times we just fine tune interaction

21. business user
value
designer

22. all are
happy

23. comfort
zone

24. point of view
Most times we are paid for
staying in the comfort zone
photo by richardstep.com on flickr.com cc-by-2.0

25. ethics

26. thesis #3
We follow a near-sighted
utilitarianism code of action
photo by sindre-wimberger on flickr.com cc-by-sa-2.0

27. utilitarianism
An ethical philosophy in which the happiness of the greatest
number of people in the society is considered the greatest
good. According to this philosophy, an action is morally
right if its consequences lead to happiness (absence of pain),
and wrong if it ends in unhappiness (pain).
Source: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/utilitarianism.html

28. summary
If your actions resulted in happiness
for a majority of people, you did good.
It’s OK, if some became unhappy.

29. Market Economy

30. Market Economy

31. Market Economy

32. some moral problems
Utilitarianism ethics sometimes
just doesn’t help anyways

33. photo by Robert Clowney via public-intelligence.net

35. revision

36. DESIGN FOR CONVERSION in a nutshell
picture by amazon.com

37. No
l
us ike w w
e
yo you e
ur to
br
MAKE ME
ain
THINK
ABOUT THE
RIGHT STUFF
A common sense approach to interface design

38. photo by aboyandhisbike on flickr.com cc-by--nd-2.0

39. more ethics

40. thesis #4
Every time we design an interface
we’re defining absolute rules

41. thesis #4
Every time we design an interface
we’re defining universal rules.

42. what should be taken into account
First formulation of the categorical imperative
“Act only according to that maxim
whereby you can at the same time will
that it should become a universal law.”
Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals

43. summary
Always act in a way,
that you want everybody to act, too

44. conclusion
As we are designing deterministic systems,
we should consider Kant’s thoughts.

45. my state of mind

46. mental model
“Design is invisible”
by Lucius Burckhardt

47. When we design, we
always change something to
the complex system, that’s called
society
If we design a chair, a sign or a website, we always
need to consider the impact to the system.
This is what we must design at first,
not the product.

48. My stand as of today
Change things in a way, that it becomes
easier for others to do good instead of bad.
photo by Lutz Schmitt cc-by-sa-3.0

49. wrap up

50. power of design
Remember every day,
that we do change the world

51. don't be a timid sheep
At least stop complaining, that you are one

52. question your emotional state
Are you happy?

53. question the comfort zone
Nobody will invite you to do so,
but it's probably a good thing

54. start with yourself
Try to find out first, what you should change.

55. be influential
Don't stop at manipulating users.
Do it with your colleagues, employees,
bosses, stakeholders and clients, too

56. Thank you, again!
Twitter: @luxux
Save the date: Df|Experience Cologne, 25 April 2013 – designfor.at