Ruined by Design: How Designers Destroyed the World, and What We Can Do to Fix It

by Mike Monteiro

“You are responsible for what you put into the world. And you are responsible for the effects those things have upon the world.”

A designer uses their expertise in the service of others without being a servant. Saying no is a design skill. Asking why is a design skill. Rolling your eyes and staying quiet is not. Asking ourselves why we are making something is an infinitely better question than asking ourselves whether we can make it.

What about empathy? Empathy is a pretty word for exclusion. I’ve seen all-male all-white teams taking “empathy workshops” to see how women think. If you want to know how women would use something you’re designing, get a woman on your design team. They’re not extinct. We don’t need to study them. We can hire them!

Today’s design isn’t done by rock stars. It isn’t done by ninjas, and it isn’t done by solo supermen. It’s done by teams who know how to work together, to look at a problem from multiple points of view and a diverse set of experiences.

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