In recent months, WDO’s Young Designers Circle has engaged in discussions to define design across various professional and sociocultural contexts represented within our group. Recognizing their roles as innovators and problem-solvers in the design field, the YDC is now working to develop an oath that sets firm ethical standards and responsibilities for designers globally.


Their mission while crafting the Design Oath is to explore the diverse and expanding landscape of ethics within design and its applications. It is this commitment and thoroughness that has driven the group to create a process that empowers designers to take charge and spark ethical changes within their organizations. This initiative will aim to define shared principles and values for the global design community, while inspiring responsibility, ethics and innovation in design practices.

A reflection of their work to date, the YDC has identified 9 potential principles that will form the basis of their design oath. These principles were recently explored as part of a series of virtual workshops hosted by the YDC, which gathered designers from across the globe.

 

Based on the feedback received during the workshops, the YDC design oath will be further developed and presented in alignment with WDO’s activities for World Industrial Design Day (WIDD) on 29 June 2025. Further insights to be shared at the World Design Congress in London (UK) in September 2025.

Category 1: Purposeful & Impactful Design

Principle

Good Design is Effective and Meaningful

Effective design achieves meaningful resolution by aligning a clearly defined purpose with a strategic problem-solving process to address a specific problem within its context. The resulting solution is not only functional but also impactful and meaningful for a greater system beyond immediate context.

Principle

Good Design is Viable Business

Design is not merely an aesthetic feature but a strategic tool that enhances functionality, customer experience, and market differentiation.Business viability refers to a company’s ability to sustain operations, generate profit, and adapt to market changes over time.

Principle

Good Design Ensures Reliability and Value

A design that ensures reliability and meaningful outcomes accomplishes two primary goals: delivering dependable, consistent functionality that instills trust and meets its intended purpose, while maximizing valuable, relevant results that foster positive impact.

Category 2: Ethical & Systemically Conscious Design

Principle

Good Design is Systemically Responsible

Good and ethical design requires systemic responsibility. This means designers must act as moral agents, considering the interconnectedness of their work within a larger socio-technical system. They must integrate diverse ethical perspectives, anticipate short-term and long-term consequences for all stakeholders (users, communities, environment, etc.), and continuously strive for just and sustainable outcomes.

Principle

Good Design Fosters Systemic Regeneration

Design fosters systemic regeneration by integrating sustainable development goals and applying regenerative principles throughout the design process, crafting a lasting flourishing future through positive environmental, social, and economic impact.

Principle

Good Design Promotes Equitable Participation

Design cultivates equitable participation by dismantling systemic barriers through human-centered design processes that prioritize diversity, equity, accessibility, and belonging.

Category 3: Creative & Collaborative Design Process

Principle

Good Design harmonizes creativity-innovation

Good design effectively integrates creativity and innovation to create solutions that are not only novel and aesthetically pleasing but also meaningful, valuable, and impactful within a larger system. This involves balancing the expressive and exploratory nature of creativity with the strategic and implementation-focused nature of innovation.

Principle

Good Design is Aesthetically Conscious

Design achieves its fullest potential by cultivating emotional resonance through strategically and responsible crafted aesthetic experiences, resulting in a compelling and meaningful connection with the target audience.

Principle

Good Design Drives Synergy

Ethical designs emerge from the synergistic interplay of communication and collaboration. It’s a process of purposeful dialogue and joint effort that fosters mutual understanding, creates shared value, and ultimately achieves common design goals.

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2023-2025 Young Designers Circle

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