Professional Documents
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Value-Sensitive Design Software Engineering
Value-Sensitive Design Software Engineering
perspective
Value-Sensitive Design
Batya Friedman Colby College and The Mina Institute
I have also sought to develop a framework for The only way to ensure audio privacy is to the topic of a work-
understanding how specific values play out in turn off the application, which is a cumber- shop Nissenbaum and
the design of computer systems, including some solution. Alternatively, a simple solution I organized at CHI‘96
how these values can be undermined or pro- existed in the design process (ultimately [6]. Participants in the
moted by the technology. In this article, I dis- vetoed by the design team): to install a hard- workshop included
cuss projects (conducted in collaboration with ware on/off switch on the microphone at the Bay-Wei Chang, Ise
Helen Nissenbaum) that concern two values: cost of 25 cents. Henin, David Kirsh,
user autonomy and freedom from bias. I con- This example illustrates how hardware Pekka Lehtio, Nicole
clude with some reflections on the importance design can either hinder or help the user’s abil- Parrot, and Mark
of value-sensitive design, justifiable limita- ity to control the technology. More generally, Rosenstein, They con-
tions on its implementation, and ways in it speaks to the value of user autonomy. By tributed to the ideas
which it complements economic mandates. this term we refer to individuals who are self- developed here.
into account and provide ready mechanisms implicitly and unconsciously, even despite the discussed here has
for users to review and fine-tune their systems best of intentions. Consider, for example, soft- been adapted from
[11, 12]. ware that a colleague purchased for his school- several sources [3, 5].
1. Dagger, R. . Annals of 7. Friedman, B. and 13. Perry, J., Macken, E., 18. Shneiderman, B. and
democracy. The New Winograd, T. (eds.). Scott, N., and McKinley. Rose, A. Social impact
Yorker (November 7, Computing and social Disability, inability and statements: Engaging
1988): 40–46, 51–52, responsibility: A collec- cyberspace. In B. public participation in
54, 56, 61–68, 97–100, tion of course syllabi. Friedman (ed.), Human information technology
102–108. Computer Professionals values and the design of design. In B. Friedman
for Social Responsibility, computer technology. (ed.), Human values and
2. Friedman, B. (ed.).
Palo Alto, Calif., 1990. Center for the Study of the design of computer
Human values and the
Language and technology. Center for
design of computer tech- 8. Gewirth, A. Reason
Information, Stanford the Study of Language
nology. Center for the and morality. University
University, Stanford, and Information,
Study of Language and of Chicago Press,
Calif., in press. Stanford University,
Information, Stanford Chicago, 1978.
14. Roth, A. E. The evo- Stanford, Calif., in press.
University, Stanford, 9. Hill, T. E., Jr.
Calif., in press. lution of the labor mar- 19. Taib, I. M. Loophole
Autonomy and self-
ket for medical interns allows bias in displays on
3. Friedman, B., Brok, respect. Cambridge
and residents: A case computer reservations
E., Roth, S. K., and University Press, United
study in game theory. systems. Aviation Week
Thomas, J. Minimizing Kingdom, 1991.
Journal of Political & Space Technology
bias in computer sys- 10. Huff, C. and Cooper,
Economy 92 (1984): (February 1990), p. 137.
tems: CHI ‘95 J. Sex bias in educational
991–1016. 20. Tang, J. C.
Workshop. SIGCHI software: The effect of
Bulletin 28, 1 (1996): 15. Roth, A. E. New Eliminating a hardware
designers’ stereotypes on
48–51. physicians: A natural switch: Weighing eco-
the software they design.
experiment in market nomics and values in a
4. Friedman, B. and Journal of Applied Social
organization. Science design decision. In B.
Kahn, P. H., Jr. Human Psychology 17 (1987):
250 (1990): 1524–1528. Friedman (ed.), Human
agency and responsible 519–532.
16. Roth, S. K. The values and the design of
computing: Implications 11. Laurel, B. Interface
unconsidered ballot: computer technology.
for computer system agents: Metaphors with
How design effects vot- Center for the Study of
design. Journal of character. In B. Laurel
ing behavior. Visible Language and
Systems Software 17 (ed.), The art of human-
Language 28 (1994): Information, Stanford
(1992): 7–14. computer interface
48–67. University, Stanford,
5. Friedman, B. and design Addison-Wesley,
Calif., in press.
Nissenbaum, H. Bias in Reading, Mass., 1990, 17. Shifrin, C. A. Justice
will weigh suit challeng- 21. Thomas, J. C. Steps
computer systems. ACM pp. 355–365.
ing airlines’ computer toward universal access
Transactions on 12. Malone, T. W., Lai,
reservations. Aviation within a communications
Information Systems 14, K. Y., and Fry, C.
Week & Space company. In B. Friedman
3 (1996): 1–18. Experiments with Oval:
Technology (March (ed.), Human values and
6. Friedman, B. and A radically tailorable tool
1985), p. 105. the design of computer
Nissenbaum, H. User for cooperative work.
technology. Center for
autonomy: Who should Proceedings of the ACM
the Study of Language
control what and when? Conference on
and Information,
Conference Companion Computer Supported
Stanford University,
of the Conference on Cooperative Work
Stanford, Calif., in press.
Human Factors in (CSCW ‘92), Toronto,
Computing Systems, Ontario, November
CHI ‘96 Association for 1992.
Computing Machinery,
New York, April 1996, p.
433.