I was recently asked what my “dream project” would be. And I decided to dream big. I approached the question aspirationally, even if I’m shooting way past the moon. At worst, I bite off a little more than I can chew; at best, it’s more than I could have dreamed.
I’ve had this throughline come up a lot in my life, and when I was asked what I wanted to create, my intuition felt this could be a full-circle moment. The throughline is a 23-year-old question I’ve carried with me since my career kicked off after undergrad, as a graphic designer at an ad agency. Two years in, I was asking myself what any of this meant. Who is this for? Am I contributing to the greater good, or a greater landfill? And even as I actively contribute to the greater good in real time, leading creative for public health, this question still burns for me.
Designed to Fracture
I recently authored a whitepaper, Designed to Fracture, that asks a question of creators. We as content creators are not just users of attention-exploiting digital ecosystems; we are builders of environments that shape other people’s consciousness. What could change if we consider that responsibility? I propose that rather than abandoning the systems, we are strategically positioned to become a force for change within them.
I end the paper with the line: “This awareness is an act of resistance. It begins with us choosing to change the system from within and refusing to disappear inside it.” My dream project picks up where the whitepaper leaves off and meets the creators and communicators on a personal level. It’s the answer to the question.
The Inside Shift
My dream project is called The Inside Shift, and it’s a web-based platform that makes the practitioner’s case for ethical, humane design and communication. It changes how practitioners see their responsibility and gives them a framework grounded in real, everyday work.
It’s a thinking, advocacy, and research-driven editorial platform for fellow practitioners (designers and communicators) who want their work to contribute to a more ethical and humane world. It makes the case for why what we design matters, and it speaks directly to us, who are already inside the systems, doing the work.
Fitting In Where It’s Needed Most
There are other organizations out there contributing to this space. The Center for Humane Technology works at the policy level, Design Observer examines the evolving role of design across culture, technology, business, and society, and places like DesignerUp teach mindful design practice. But there’s a disconnect between how design ethics is discussed in academic circles and how it’s practiced day-to-day, with a growing interest in embedding it in everyday practice.
This creates an opportunity for practical, accessible tools for practitioners to apply ethical principles at the design level, right where they are. With audience wellbeing and agency at the core of creators’ responsibility, this platform speaks from a design practitioner’s point of view, from over two decades of navigating it. It’s for designers and communicators who are asking what their work is for and what the impact is, and are looking for ways to bring more intention and meaning.
The Proposal
Below you can flip through the proposal to deep dive into the breadth of the platform. I’m currently in week 1 of my dream project development, which involves proposal development and collecting initial research, including my content area, the mediums, and peer and adjacent research on those doing similar work. And, honestly, assessing if my dream is too big for 7 weeks.
What’s Ahead
This blog series will document everything along the way, from my research and how I’m feeling about my progress to how the project is taking real-life shape. Next, I’ll detail my continued research and discovery, narrow my website platform choice, and start building the framework and foundational essay topic. I’m most excited to dive deeper into Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus, Mike Monteiro’s Ruined by Design, James Williams’ Stand Out of Our Light, and original research by Joseph Donia & James A. Shaw on ethics and values in design.
