Communitech Hub - Cafeteria
9:30pm – 11:00pm GMT Thursday 19 Sep 2019
Fluxible Meetup

The Changing Face of Ethical Design: Why Responsible Intent Matters More Than Ever

Andy Vitale

Presented by: uxWaterloo

Design has always been about problem solving. But the scale and complexity of the problems designers face is at an all-time high as we consider designing solutions that are ethical, inclusive, and sustainable.

Focusing purely on outcomes can cause unintentional harm to humans, our communities, and society. How can we, as designers, meaningfully improve the world when the speed and continuous introduction of new technology seems to make all of us more vulnerable? What can designers do when facing conflicts of interest around creating responsible solutions?

Join us as Andy Vitale explores these questions and more.

Now more than ever, designers need to be accountable for the decisions we make and understand the lasting impact our designs leave behind.

Attendees will learn:

  • What it means to design ethical, inclusive, and sustainable solutions
  • Real-world examples of how thinking responsibly could have improved design outcomes
  • How to embed responsibility into the design process
  • Best practices for designing products with responsible intent
About Andy Vitale
Head of User Experience Design at SunTrust Bank
Andy Vitale

Andy Vitale is the Head of User Experience Design at SunTrust Bank, where he instills the importance of design and a client-centered approach to solve problems, grow revenue, and achieve far-reaching goals. He leads a diverse and dedicated team in translating human insights into actionable experiences to both differentiate the bank and raise the bar for the finance industry.

Andy has solved problems for organizations ranging from startups to Fortune-ranked companies. He’s led a team of designers at 3M focused on enterprise healthcare software, served as a digital agency partner, and pioneered mobile experiences at Office Depot. He’s a relentless user experience evangelist, with a passion for cognitive thinking and making technology more human. He’s driven by a user-centered passion that transforms teams from capable to difference-making.

Aside from his primary role at SunTrust, Andy is an adjunct professor for Kent State University’s User Experience Design graduate program, and serves on the advisory board for multiple professional organizations and educational institutions.

He holds a Master’s degree in User Experience Design and has previously held multiple roles as a designer, entrepreneur, education department chair, and design leader, and often speaks at industry conferences and events.