LESS VER

SION

(BAD)
DESIGN
A
TOOL-
KIT
FOR
A TOOLKIT FOR

ETH-
ICAL
ETHICAL IDEATION

IDE-
ATION
MATTHEW MANOS
1
Welcome!

LESS (BAD) DESIGN

A TOOLKIT FOR ETHICAL IDEATION

“We must stop defiling the earth itself with poorly-

designed objects and structures.”
– VICTOR PAPANEK

Papanek might have been onto something.

Every day, designers and innovators alike, with the best of intentions, work really hard to devise
solutions that often create more harm than good.

Not all, but quite a lot of the work our Design industry generates serves as fuel to a system that
often benefits a very small group of people, harms our environment, and grows inequality. Design is
supposed to be about building a bridge between the needs of people, and the needs of business. At
some point, I think we took a side. I think we forgot about people, society, and our planet. Many of us
talk about impact, but what are we really doing? Now is the time to ask… “What am I doing?”, and
therefore, “what am I not?”

This toolkit is about ethical ideation; limiting, as Papanek says, the objects and structures that defile.

This toolkit is about uncovering the new problems our “solutions” might generate; questioning our
own perception of the problems we seek to solve in the first place.

This toolkit is about designing less.

MATTHEW MANOS
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
APRIL 03, 2021

2
TABLE OF CONTENTS

QUESTION
THE PROBLEM
What are you
trying to solve?
PAGE 04

SNOWBALL
EFFECT
Generate a
range of ideas.
PAGE 08
THE NEW
PROBLEMS
Reflect on the
new problems
your ideas create.
PAGE 10 NEGOTIATE
& OFFSET
Iterate upon
the idea.
PAGE 13

3
 QUESTION THE PROBLEM

QUESTION THE PROBLEM

You’ve likely come to this toolkit with a problem in mind. Something that annoys you; something
you think is just plain wrong. In this section, we’ll reflect on the problem, your relationship to it, and
determine whether or not the problem is appropriate to solve.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOU’RE HOPING TO SOLVE?

Reflect in the space below:

• How was this problem identified?
• From your own personal perspective, why is this a problem?

4
 QUESTION THE PROBLEM

IS THIS A PROBLEM THAT YOU PERSONALLY FACE?

Using the prompts below, reflect on your relationship to the problem you’ve identified, and select one
of the following four options.

Directly: The problem directly relates to my own lived experience. For example,
a student struggling with online learning modalities.

In-Directly: The problem only somewhat relates to my own lived experience.

For example, a parent of a student struggling with online learning modalities.

Peripherally: The problem doesn’t relate to your own lived experience, but
somewhat impacts your life. For example, a future employer (3-4 years in the
future) of a student struggling with online learning modalities.

Not at all: The problem doesn’t relate to you in any clear or immediate way.
For example, a mid-career developer interested in creating an edtech startup
that would benefit students who struggle with online learning modalities.

IF THIS “PROBLEM” WAS COMPLETELY ERADICATED, WHO OR

WHAT MIGHT BE HARMED IN THE PROCESS?

5
 QUESTION THE PROBLEM

WHO EXPERIENCES THIS PROBLEM?

Begin by listing every possible stakeholder affected by the problem you have identified. Stakeholders
can include people who are directly or less directly impacted by the problem.

6
 QUESTION THE PROBLEM

WHO EXPERIENCES THIS PROBLEM?, CONTINUED...

Now that you have developed an exhaustive list of stakeholders, talk to at least one representative
of each stakeholder category (though 5-7 from each key stakeholder category is recommended).
In these conversations, after introducing your own perception of the problem, ask the following
questions:

Do you consider this to be a problem? (Yes, No, Maybe)

Follow-up: Why?

What does this problem look like?

What does this problem feel like?

How urgent does this problem need to be solved?

EVALUATE THE PROBLEM

Next, evaluate the problem, and your responses to the prompts above in order to determine if
it is necessary or right to explore further. Through this evaluation, look back at your notes from
your stakeholder interviews, the way(s) in which your problem was identified, your personal
relationship to the problem, and the risk(s) that may be involved in solving the problem itself.

During this evaluation...

• take seriously the perspective of the people you talk to.

• question your own ideas, especially if you are not directly impacted by the problem you are
aiming to solve

• consider who might be harmed in the process of solving this problem; whether or not the
problem, or elements of the problem, are necessary inconveniences.

If, after further reflecting and evaluating, you determine the problem....

IS worth pursuing, continue to page XX of this toolkit.

IS NOT worth pursuing, stop right here. You’re done with the toolkit at this point!
Come back another time with a new problem.

MAY BE worth pursuing, go ahead and continue to page XX of this toolkit. Don’t
worry, we have more checks and balances coming.

7
 SNOWBALL EFFECT

SNOWBALL EFFECT
Inspired by the “snowball poem”, invented by the Oulipo, this ideation methodology is designed to
encourage unforeseen connections. Follow the instructions below, and use the spaces provided on
the next page to keep track of where your ideas take you.

Generate an idea for a solution

1
to the problem you’ve identified.
SET A TIMER FOR 30 SECONDS!

Let’s do that again. Generate

2
another idea for a solution.
SET A TIMER FOR 30 SECONDS!

Generate an idea that combines

1 + 2 = 3
your first and second ideas.
SET A TIMER FOR 60 SECONDS!

Again. Generate another idea

that combines your first and 1 + 2 = 4
second ideas.
SET A TIMER FOR 60 SECONDS!

Generate a new idea that combines

3 + 4 = 5
your third and fourth ideas.
SET A TIMER FOR 2 MINUTES!

Another. Generate an additional

idea that combines your third 3 + 4 = 6
and fourth ideas.
SET A TIMER FOR 2 MINUTES!

One more time. Generate a final

idea that combines your fifth 5 + 6 = 7
and sixth ideas.
SET A TIMER FOR 3 MINUTES!

8
 SNOWBALL EFFECT

SUMMARIZE YOUR IDEAS

Using the space below, summarize each of the seven solutions that you’ve generated using the
Snowball Effect ideation methodology, in one or two sentences.

9
 THE NEW PROBLEMS

THE NEW PROBLEMS

Reflect on the seven ideas you generated using the Snowball Effect ideation methodology. Select two
ideas to move forward with for the rest of the exercise. For each of your two ideas, identify the new
problems they may or may not create across the 12 principles for bad design.

THE 12 PRINCIPLES FOR BAD DESIGN

CULTURAL
APPROPRIATION
In what way(s) is
the idea borrowed
(“borrowed”) from
a culture you or
your team are not
representative of?
BAND-AID
In what way(s) is
the idea failing to
recognize the root
cause of the problem,
instead serving as a
temporary solution?
UNFAIR EXPLOITATION
CONTROL In what way(s)
In what way(s) is the does the new idea
idea leading to unfair inappropriately
control over the user/ expose or objectify
customer? (i.e. privacy the community it
and data, restrictive aims to serve?
ecosystems)

STAKEHOLDER INEFFICIENCY ENVIRONMENTAL DISPLACEMENT

ABANDONMENT
In what way(s) is
the idea grounded
in decisions made
without considering
the needs of all
stakeholders?
In what way(s) is
the idea creating
new inefficiencies,
unnecessary
complexity,
confusion, or delay?
& SOCIAL IMPACT
In what way(s) is the
idea utilizing resources
from finite sources, or
at-risk of creating harsh
conditions for workers?
In what way(s) is
the idea displacing
communities or
businesses in its
effort to automate or
streamline?

DECREASED INAPPROPRIATE BORING INEQUITY

SAFETY
In what way(s) is
the idea creating, or
contributing to, unsafe
conditions?
In what way(s) is the
idea generally offensive
or inappropriate?
In what way(s) is the
idea just plain boring?
In what way(s) is the
idea contributing
to inequity? (Not
ensuring everyone
has access, no matter
their unique needs or
circumstances)

Special thanks to @dhnecessary, @katholmes, @globalprepper, @salvadororara, and @kevinbethune

for the comments on Twitter, which contributed greatly to the creation of these bad principles!

10
 THE NEW PROBLEMS

NOTES, IDEA SELECTION 01

Using the space below, or the Bad Design Canvas included in your download, and inspired by the
12 principles of bad design, reflect on the potential new problems your first idea selection may be
creating or contributing to.

11
 THE NEW PROBLEMS

NOTES, IDEA SELECTION 02

Using the space below, or the Bad Design Canvas included in your download, and inspired by the 12
principles of bad design, reflect on the potential new problems your second idea selection may be
creating or contributing to.

12
 NEGOTIATE AND OFFSET

NEGOTIATE AND OFFSET

Reflect on the list of “new problems” for each of your selected ideas, and using the space below,
answer the following questions.

HOW MIGHT ELEMENTS OF THE SOLUTION BE CHANGED IN ORDER TO MITIGATE THE EXISTENCE
OF EACH OF THESE NEW PROBLEMS?

Idea selection 01 Idea selection 02

13
NEGOTIATE AND OFFSET

WHAT NEW PROBLEMS ARE WE WILLING TO ACCEPT, MOVING FORWARD?

Idea selection 01 Idea selection 02

14
NEGOTIATE AND OFFSET

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO OFFSET THESE NEW PROBLEMS?

Idea selection 01 Idea selection 02

15