design - Information Matters

January 20, 2026 Sujin Song

Why Is Design Ethics Still Stuck?

Designers shape far more than products or interfaces. They shape how people act, decide, and relate to the world around them. From recommendation systems to account settings, design quietly guides everyday behavior. Because of this, design is never neutral. It always carries ethical consequences, whether designers intend them or not. This article reworks selected ideas from the author’s research, Rethinking Design Ethics from the Perspective of Spinoza, for a general audience.

Featured Opinion

May 5, 2025 Alissa Centivany

The Great Canadian Breakdown: What will it take to get a “Right to Repair” in Canada?

Fixing things in Canada has never been more difficult. Smartphones, laptops, refrigerators, washing machines, smart speakers, virtual assistants, cars, bicycles, wheelchairs, pacemakers, ventilators, tractors, tanks, fighter jets, and almost every other device or piece of equipment in our homes and workplaces is more costly, more inconvenient, and more difficult, if not impossible, to repair. Barriers to repair impact all industries, sectors, and regions. No one is spared from the Great Canadian Breakdown. As breakdown becomes more pervasive, the need for a comprehensive Canadian “right to repair” becomes more critical.