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Design Thinking Code of Ethics

november 29, 2018 by authentic and holistic design thinking

Hubert Rampersad, Ph.D.

I believe in the importance of ethical behaviour in the

design industry and that the credibility and reputation of
the design thinking profession are shaped by the
collective conduct of individual design thinking
professionals. That’s why I provide the Design Thinking
Code of Ethics® to help design thinking professionals to
use their best ethical judgment. The Design Thinking Code
of Ethics is based on my new book: “Authentic and Holistic
Design Thinking for Personal, Corporate, and Social
Innovation; a New Design Thinking Blueprint that Inspires
Imagination, Creativity and Innovation ” (Rampersad, 2019).

As a design thinking professional, you are committed to do what is ethical, right

and honorable continuously. You must set high standards for yourself and aspire
to meet these standards in all aspects of your live—at work, at home, and in service
to your design profession. This code of ethics and related professional conduct
describe the expectations that we have of ourselves and our fellow design
professionals. It articulates the behaviors that are mandatory in your design
thinking professional role. The purpose of this code is to instill confidence and
trust in the design thinking profession, by establishing a profession-wide
understanding of appropriate ethical behavior. It is related to my personal
integrity methodology. This design thinking code of ethics® is an integral part of
the first stage in my “Authentic and Holistic Design Thinking Model that Inspires
Imagination, Creativity, and Innovation“.

CHAPTER 1. APPLICABILTY
1.1 Persons to Whom the Code Apples
The code of ethics and the related professional conduct apply to all designers and
their managers.

1.2 Structure of the Code

The code of ethics is divided into sections that contain standards of conduct
which are aligned with the values that were identified as important to the design
industry.

1.3 Values that Support this Code

We at the Center of Excellence in Design Thinking asked many design thinking
professionals to identify the values that formed the basis of their decision making
and guided their actions. The values we defined based on this survey as being of
utmost importance are: Personal responsibility, respect, fairness, and personal
integrity. This code affirms these four values as its foundation.

1.4 Aspirational and Mandatory Conduct

Each section of the code of ethics includes both aspirational standards and
mandatory standards. The aspirational standards describe the conduct that we
strive to uphold as design thinking professionals. The mandatory standards are
firm requirements.

CHAPTER 2. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

2.1 Description of personal responsibility
Personal responsibility means your duty to take ownership of your own narrate,
and you take control of your life by accepting full accountability for the decisions
you make or fail to make, the actions you take or fail to take, and the
consequences that result.

2.2 Personal responsibility: Aspirational Standards

As a design thinking professional:
2.2.1 You always make design thinking decisions and take actions based on the
best interests of your customers, the society, and the environment.
2.2.2 You accept only those design assignments that are consistent with your
educational background, experience, skills, and qualifications.
2.2.3 When you make errors, you always take full ownership and make corrections
promptly. You accept full accountability for any issues resulting from your errors
and any resulting consequences.
2.2.4 You recognize your responsibility to make personal improvement a routine
and a continuous process.
2.2.5 You demonstrate commitment and leadership, set an example, and act as a
role model.
2.2.6 You apply the concept of personal disruptive innovation to increase your
skills for empathy, self-control, and personal responsibility, and by doing so you
develop better relationships and healthier interactions with customers.

2.3 Personal responsibility: Mandatory Standards

As a design thinking professional, you require the following of yourself and your
fellow design thinking practitioners:

2.3.1 You uphold the policies, rules, regulations, and laws that govern your design
thinking work and volunteer activities.
2.3.2 You report unethical or illegal conduct to appropriate management and, if
necessary, to those affected by the conduct.
2.3.3 You bring violations of this code of ethics to the attention of the appropriate
people or body for resolution.
2.3.4 You only file ethics complaints when they are substantiated by concrete facts.
2.3.5 You pursue disciplinary action against an individual who retaliates against a
person raising ethics concerns.

CHAPTER 3. RESPECT
3.1 Description of respect
Respect is a feeling of deep admiration for others elicited by their abilities,
qualities, or achievements, and it is your duty to show a high regard for them.
Collaboration in the design teams with designers from various backgrounds is
important to stimulate creativity and innovation and enhance team performance.
Mutual respect is a critical component in this process.

3.2 Respect: Aspirational Standards

As a design thinking professional:
3.2.1 You always avoid engaging in behaviors others might consider disrespectful.
3.2.2 You strive to be humble and do not waste energy on your ego.
3.2.3 You collaborate with people from various backgrounds and always respects
their viewpoints.
3.2.4 You develop the habit of punctuality to reflect discipline and a proper regard
for others.
3.2.5 You always show respect, compassion, and sincere consideration for your
customers, for your design team members, and for the world you shape through
design.
3.2.6 You share your personal ambition statement with your design team members
to stimulate mutual respect and to develop team learning.

3.3 Respect: Mandatory Standards

As a design thinking professional, you require the following of yourself and your
fellow design thinking practitioners:

3.3.1 You always negotiate in good faith.

3.3.2 You do not exercise the power of your position to influence the decisions or
actions of others to benefit personally at their expense.
3.3.3 You do not act in an abusive manner toward others.
3.3.4 You always respect the rights of others.

CHAPTER 4. FAIRNESS
4.1 Description of fairness
Fairness means impartial and just treatment of others. It is your duty to make
decisions and act impartially and objectively, free from self-interest, prejudice, and
favouritism. Team learning, engagement, and a high-team performance require
fairness in the design team.

4.2 Fairness: Aspirational Standards

As a design thinking professional:
4.2.1 You always judge others fairly and correctly.
4.2.2 You constantly re-examine your impartiality and objectivity, taking corrective
action as appropriate.
4.2.3 You provide equal access to information to those who are authorized to have
that information.
4.2.4 You make opportunities equally available to qualified candidates.

4.3 Fairness: Mandatory Standards

As a design thinking professional, you require the following of yourself and your
fellow design thinking practitioners:
4.3.1 You proactively and fully disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest to
the appropriate stakeholders.
4.3.2 When you realize that you have a conflict of interest, you refrain from
engaging in the decision-making process.
4.3.3 You do not hire or fire, reward or punish, or award or deny contracts based on
personal considerations, including but not limited to, favouritism, nepotism, or
bribery.
4.3.4 You do not discriminate against others based on, but not limited to, gender,
race, age, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual orientation.
4.3.5 You always apply these rules without favouritism or prejudice.

CHAPTER 5. PERSONAL INTEGRITY

5.1 Description of personal integrity
Personal integrity is acting in accordance with your conscience and your values; it
is your duty to understand ethics and always be honest and act in an ethical
manner in your conduct. “Personal integrity is telling myself the truth. Honesty is telling
the truth to other people”.―Spencer Johnson

To develop personal integrity, it is necessary to find a balance between your

personal ambition and your personal behavior/actions, read “How to Develop
Personal Integrity“. You should reflect during this inner alignment process on the
following questions:
• Do I act in accordance with my conscience and my values?
• Is there consistency between what I am thinking and what I am doing?
• How do my ideals, ambitions, intentions, and values fit my present actions?
• Are my thoughts and my practices the same?

• Do I act consistently in accordance with my personal ambition? Am I

really empathic?
• Does my personal ambition reflect my desire to act ethically and empathically?
• Are there contradictions in my personal ambition and my empathic behavior?
• Do I keep promises that I make to myself?
• How do others perceive me and my values?
• Do they witness me being true to my core beliefs and me staying in alignment
with who I really am?

This process of personal integrity development involves the establishment of a

match or fit between your personal ambition and your behavior/your way of acting.
When you find harmony between your personal ambition and your personal behavior/way of
acting, you will not come into conflict with your conscience.

5.2 Personal integrity: Aspirational Standards

As a design thinking professional:
5.2.1 You always act in accordance with your conscience and values, and seek to
understand the truth.
5.2.2 You always follow and trust your intuition.
5.2.3 You are always truthful to yourself and in your communications and conduct.
5.2.4 You are trustworthy and show transparency and accountability.
5.2.5 You always live in harmony with your formulated personal ambition and
design thinking brand.
5.2.6 You always live up to the promises you made and also keep promises that you
make to yourself.
5.2.7 You always strive to create an environment of trust in which others feel safe to
tell the truth, by aligning the personal ambition of designers with the shared
corporate ambition.
5.2.8 You always ask yourself:
• Have I followed my conscience consistently?
• Have I followed my personal ambition consistently?
• Have I given it my best effort consistently?
• Have I done what was right consistently?
• Have I demonstrated empathic behavior consistently?

5.3 Personal integrity: Mandatory Standards

As a design thinking professional, you require the following of yourself and your
fellow design thinking practitioners:
5.3.1 You do not engage in behavior that is designed to deceive others, including
making misleading or false statements, and stating half-truths.
5.3.2 You do not engage in dishonest behavior with the intention of personal gain
or at the expense of another.

Please sign this pledge and send it to your design manager and keep a copy in
your file:

I pledge:
To conduct myself professionally, with integrity, accuracy, fairness, and personal
responsibility to my customers, colleagues, and the public. To improve my
individual competence and advance the knowledge and proficiency of the design
thinking profession through continuing research and education; and to always
adhere to the articles of Dr. Hubert Rampersad’s Design Thinking Code of Ethics®. I
understand and accept that there is a consequence for misconduct.

Name and Signature:

Place and Date:

Further readings:

An Authentic and Holistic Design Thinking Model that Inspires Imagination,

Creativity and Innovation
Exclusive Master Class: Authentic and Holistic Design Thinking
Master Class: Personal Disruptive Innovation & Authentic Personal
Branding for Design Thinkers
Authentic and Holistic Design Thinking for Personal, Corporate, and Social
Innovation
Authentic Personal Branding for Design Thinkers
How to Develop Personal Integrity
Personal Disruptive Innovation
Top Ten Traits of a Successful Design Thinker
What Does It Mean to be an Empathic and Disruptive Design Thinker
Spirituality in Design Thinking
How to Develop Employee Alignment and Engagement
My Personal Innovation Strategy

For more information, please contact us at:

Center of Excellence in Design Thinking

Miami, Florida, USA | tpsi@live.com |

phone: +1-7542218946 |whatsapp:
+1330315242 | https://bit.ly/2CQLIfS

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