Designing digital experiences for a complex world

1. Context-Centric Design
designing digital experiences for a complex world
TECHTRANSFORMED

2. TECHTRANSFORMED
by: doteveryone

3. TECHTRANSFORMED
We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to
people in order to understand their
experiences in our digital world

4. TECHTRANSFORMED
We wanted to turn these insights into
useful ideas for designers of technology
who want to make great products not just
for their users, but for the communities
and the world we all live in as well

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We hope we can inspire ingenuity and
encourage bolder ways of thinking about
how products are experienced and used
in our rapidly changing world

6. From Our Research
by: doteveryone

7. People don’t
understand the
digital economy
and the
technologies
they interact
with everyday
How personal information
is collected
How prices can vary
How adverts target you
How products and services
are paid for
Where news comes from
Doteveryone’s research into
the Digital Understanding
of the UK public found a
lack of understanding in..
Digital
Understanding

8. This has led to a
general unease and
distrust in how
technology is shaping
our lives

9. How has the internet
affected you as an individual
How has the internet
affected society
People experience the internet both as individuals and as members
of society. The benefits they see in these contexts are very different:

10. 19% 69%
36%
31% 61%
19%
56%
72%
If an online retailer began offering free 1-day delivery
for lower income families in my community, but this
resulted in local shops closing down
If my local Council made cost savings by transferring
all their services online and reduced my Council tax
as a result, but this meant that some members of the
community found it difficult to access these services
If my bank put more investment into protecting their
customers from fraud and cyber crime, but this
meant that they had to close down my local
branch to cover these costs
If a delivery driver is made redundant from full-time
employment, and the only work now available is with
an online delivery company, with no guaranteed hours
NET:
Acceptable
NET:
Unacceptable
People have varying views on the acceptability of the trade-offs technology has
introduced to the world around them

11. Positive Negative
78%
69%
61%
74% 69%
66%
53%
66%
Making people less likely to
speak to each other
face to face
Helping shops and businesses
sell their products or services
Helping shops Children and
young people learn
Helping people to access
products and services
Making local shops and
businesses compete against
large companies who are
able to offer the same
products and services online
Making it harder to encourage
children and young people to
play outside and exercise
Helping people communicate
and keep
in touch
Making it easier for criminals
to access and scam
people online
But many are able to understand that the positives and negatives of the
internet are flip-sides of the same experience

12. These findings show that
people experience technology
with other people. Within
their communities. Within
their jobs.
People don’t only experience
technology between
themselves and their screens.
Which is why we
need to design for
technology in context

13. Given the massive potential impact digital technologies
can have, they must be designed for their role in the
world we all live in

14. Case Study: The effect of ride-sharing
services on public transportation
Researchers from the University of Kentucky have found
the introduction of ride-hailing services have had a
drastic impact on cities across the United States. Other
studies, like one by San Francisco's county
transportation authority, have found that ride-hailing
services also increase traffic congestion.
The original goal of many of these services was to
improve travel experiences for individuals. But their rapid
introduction into cities has led to massive changes to
public services and the overall experience of living there
- in ways that have been both good and bad.
Designers thinking
about users only
when they interact
with a product has
led to blindspots in
design, and
technology that has
unintended societal
consequences

15. This aligns with other
movements within design
Human centred design
Inclusive design
Relational design
Macro/Micro design
Ecosystem design
Transformation design
Designing for an individual user can quickly
become problematic.
For example, take someone who is in need of care. If
we were to only question their needs, we may ignore
the needs of the wider system of family, carers and
institutions that they rely on, which actually leads to
the needs of the original user not being met.
Many other movements have recognised the
imperative to go further than user needs as we
define them today. Contextual design
TECHTRANSFORMED

16. Contributors & permissions
Doteveryone
Doteveryone is an independent think tank that
explores how technology is changing society, shows
what responsible technology can look like, and
catalyses communities to shape technology that
serves people better.
TECHTRANSFORMED
This resource was created by:
Sam Brown, TechTransformed Programme Manager
James Barclay, Designer
Based on research and ideas from:
Doteveryone’s Catherine Miller (@radiocatherine), Rachel
Coldicutt (@rachelcoldicutt), Hannah Kitcher (@HanKitcher),
Cassie Robinson (@CassieRobinson)
Permission to share
This document is published under a creative
commons licence: Creative Commons
AttributionShareAlike 4.0 International (CC
BY-SA 4.0)
Registered Charity:
1146972 Doteveryone is registered in
England and Wales Company No: 06960661

17. TECHTRANSFORMED
by: doteveryone