Value Sensitive Design Approach Research Articles

Value sensitive design and the artificial placenta

Artificial placenta technologies (also termed ‘artificial wombs’) for use in place of conventional neonatal intensive care are increasingly closer to first-in-human use. There is growing ethical interest in partial ectogestation...

Characterising the low-tech approach through a value-driven model

AbstractIn this article, we argue that the low-tech narrative redefined by a French low-tech movement in recent years can be considered as a legitimate research object for design research. Based on the French low-tech movement's literature, we present the definitions of the low-tech concept as an approach driven by principles and highlight two theorical limitations of this type of definition. Based on a value-sensitive design approach, we present transdisciplinary research results through a value-driven low-tech model and discussed its limitations and possible use as a tool for engineers.

Customer Service Ethics in the Metaverse: A Value-Sensitive Design Science Approach

The aim of this paper is to develop recommendations for the value-sensitive design of social virtual reality (VR) applications with respect to the interaction between customers and customer service representatives, considering the value-sensitive design approach. Based on a systematic literature search, 125 relevant hits could be found, which especially assigns the values of openness, security, and liability to problems and categorizes them into six problem areas. These values of openness, security, and liability and problem fields form the requirements for a value-sensitive design of social VR applications. Based on these requirements, preliminary design principles were derived in two evaluation cycles, each assessed using an online survey (Survey 1 with 221 participants and Survey 2 with 310 participants) and presented in the form of instantiation. One main finding of the paper can help counteract discrimination in social VR applications within the interaction between customers and customer service representatives.

Blockchain for citizens' participation in urban planning: The case of the city of Berlin. A value sensitive design approach

The aim of the paper is to investigate how a blockchain-based platform for citizens' participation in urban planning should be developed adopting a Value Sensitive Design approach (VSD). VSD can be considered as an overarching methodological framework for new technologies development which takes into account moral and human values of all the direct and indirect stakeholders which might be impacted by the technology. By considering the perspectives of the different involved stakeholders, the paper specifically addresses the call for more research about blockchain-based services which adopts a human-centred approach instead of technocentric.The paper is based on the empirical analysis of a DApp called BBBlockchain which was specifically created with the purpose to improve citizens participation in urban planning decisions in two major residential development projects in Berlin, Germany. BBBlockchain is a proof of concept which is currently running on its own in-house test network but it can run on every EVM compatible blockchain. From the analysis of the information layer of participation, it can be argued that the most important values include transparency, inclusiveness and confidentiality.

Reflections on Putting AI Ethics into Practice: How Three AI Ethics Approaches Conceptualize Theory and Practice

Critics currently argue that applied ethics approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) are too principles-oriented and entail a theory–practice gap. Several applied ethical approaches try to prevent such a gap by conceptually translating ethical theory into practice. In this article, we explore how the currently most prominent approaches of AI ethics translate ethics into practice. Therefore, we examine three approaches to applied AI ethics: the embedded ethics approach, the ethically aligned approach, and the Value Sensitive Design (VSD) approach. We analyze each of these three approaches by asking how they understand and conceptualize theory and practice. We outline the conceptual strengths as well as their shortcomings: an embedded ethics approach is context-oriented but risks being biased by it; ethically aligned approaches are principles-oriented but lack justification theories to deal with trade-offs between competing principles; and the interdisciplinary Value Sensitive Design approach is based on stakeholder values but needs linkage to political, legal, or social governance aspects. Against this background, we develop a meta-framework for applied AI ethics conceptions with three dimensions. Based on critical theory, we suggest these dimensions as starting points to critically reflect on the conceptualization of theory and practice. We claim, first, that the inclusion of the dimension of affects and emotions in the ethical decision-making process stimulates reflections on vulnerabilities, experiences of disregard, and marginalization already within the AI development process. Second, we derive from our analysis that considering the dimension of justifying normative background theories provides both standards and criteria as well as guidance for prioritizing or evaluating competing principles in cases of conflict. Third, we argue that reflecting the governance dimension in ethical decision-making is an important factor to reveal power structures as well as to realize ethical AI and its application because this dimension seeks to combine social, legal, technical, and political concerns. This meta-framework can thus serve as a reflective tool for understanding, mapping, and assessing the theory–practice conceptualizations within AI ethics approaches to address and overcome their blind spots.

Users’ evaluation of a digital government collaborative platform (DGCP) in Sri Lanka

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the Digital Government Collaborative Platform (DGCP), which facilitates collaborations between the citizens and the government to address environmental issues in Sri Lanka. The DGCP is an artifact developed by the value-sensitive design approach. Design/methodology/approach The DGCP is evaluated following the Framework for Evaluation in Design Science Research (FEDS). In total, 224 citizens participated in the survey based on the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) and open questions about human values embedded in the design. Fifteen government officers were interviewed to enhance the evaluation. Findings The DGCP received positive evaluations from the citizens and government officers. The platform is attractive, novel and pragmatic, also generating hedonic experiences for the citizens. The users believed that human values are reflected in the DGCP. Furthermore, they shared a few suggestions to improve it. Originality/value The paper contributes knowledge to evaluating digital government systems, especially in developing countries. The human-value-centered DGCP was evaluated using multiple methods of quantitative (i.e. UEQ Survey) and qualitative (i.e. qualitative interviews with stakeholders) techniques. Furthermore, the systematic process of DGCP evaluation produces a case-based guideline for evaluating related and similar digital government systems using FEDS.

Matching values to technology: a value sensitive design approach to identify values and use cases of an assistive system for people with dementia in institutional care

The number of people with dementia is increasing worldwide. At the same time, family and professional caregivers’ resources are limited. A promising approach to relieve these carers’ burden and assist people with dementia is assistive technology. In order to be useful and accepted, such technologies need to respect the values and needs of their intended users. We applied the value sensitive design approach to identify values and needs of patients with dementia and family and professional caregivers in respect to assistive technologies to assist people with dementia in institutionalized care. Based on semi-structured interviews of residents/patients with cognitive impairment, relatives, and healthcare professionals (10 each), we identified 44 values summarized by 18 core values. From these values, we created a values’ network to demonstrate the interplay between the values. The core of this network was caring and empathy as most strongly interacting value. Furthermore, we found 36 needs for assistance belonging to the four action fields of activity, care, management/administration, and nursing. Based on these values and needs for assistance, we created possible use cases for assistive technologies in each of the identified four action fields. All these use cases already are technologically feasible today but are not currently being used in healthcare facilities. This underlines the need for development of value-based technologies to ensure not only technological feasibility but also acceptance and implementation of assistive technologies. Our results help balance conflicting values and provide concrete suggestions for how engineers and designers can incorporate values into assistive technologies.

(Un)intended Consequences of AI Sales Assistants

ABSTRACT This study examines the design and implementation of an AI Sales Assistant (AISA) in several companies to understand the relationship between value sensitive design and successful implementation of AI assistants. While the AISA was designed to help and support collaboration, this study found that rather than supporting sales associates, the AISA evolved into a system to exclusively track and monitor them. This study reveals that while values important to the sales associates were considered in its design, a Value Sensitive Design approach to include all stakeholders and their values in the design process might have led to better outcomes.

Stepwise Design and Evaluation of a Values-Oriented Ambient Intelligence Healthcare Monitoring Platform

ObjectivesThe majority of all developed digital health technologies do not reach successful implementation. A discrepancy among technology design, the context of use, and user needs and values is identified as the main reason for this failure. Value-sensitive design (VSD) is a design method enabling to align design with user values by embedding values in technology, yet the method is lacking clear heuristics for practical application. To improve the successful design and implementation of digital health, we propose and evaluate a stepwise approach to VSD. MethodsThe approach consists of the phases: experiment, demonstrate, and validate. Experiment takes place in an office to create makeshift solutions. Demonstrate takes place in a mock-up environment and aims to optimize design requirements through user feedback. The validate phase takes place in an authentic care situation and studies how the novel technology affects current workflows. ResultsWe applied the stepwise VSD approach to the design of a hospital-based ambient intelligence solution for remotely and continuously monitoring quality and safety of patient care. We particularly focused on embodiment of the values of safety, privacy, and inclusiveness in the design. Design activities of the experiment and demonstrate phase are discussed. ConclusionsA stepwise approach to VSD enables a design to optimally meet the values of all users involved, while aligning the design process with the practical limitations of healthcare institutions. We discuss some benefits and challenges related to VSD and the potential for transfer of this approach to other digital health solutions.

The patients’ and caregivers’ perspective: In-hospital navigation aids for people with dementia- a qualitative study with a value sensitive design approach

ABSTRACT People with dementia (PwD) have serious difficulties orienting themselves in a hospital environment. In this qualitative study, we asked PwD and their informal caregivers about requirements for assistive technology when navigating in in-patient care settings. We aimed to provide user-centered recommendations for the development of an in-hospital navigation aid following a value sensitive design approach. We conducted semi-structured interviews with two stakeholder groups as potential future users of in-hospital navigation aids: PwD (n = 10, agemean = 83.9 years, MMSEmean = 21.2) and informal caregivers (n = 10, agemean = 75.9 years). The interviews were evaluated using qualitative content analysis in a multistage process involving six members of a self-help group for relatives of PwD as co-researchers. Independence and relief/respite were the most important values regarding assistive technology for PwD. Informal caregivers attributed greatest importance to safety and relief/respite. The underlying values of these stakeholder groups contribute to recommendations for designing new assistive technologies for patient-centered in-patient care: Assistive technology needs to overcome age- and disease-related limitations, and the resulting individual risks, while providing subsidiary assistance to maintain the desired independence of PwD for as long as possible.

Blockchain for Citizens’ Participation in Urban Planning: The Case of the City of Berlin. A Value Sensitive Design Approach

Blockchain for Citizens’ Participation in Urban Planning: The Case of the City of Berlin. A Value Sensitive Design Approach

A value sensitive design approach for designing AI-based worker assistance systems in manufacturing

Although artificial intelligence has been given an unprecedented amount of attention in both the public and academic domains in the last few years, its convergence with other transformative technologies like cloud computing, robotics, and augmented/virtual reality is predicted to exacerbate its impacts on society. The adoption and integration of these technologies within industry and manufacturing spaces is a fundamental part of what is called Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The impacts of this paradigm shift on the human operators who continue to work alongside and symbiotically with these technologies in the industry bring with it novel ethical issues. Therefore, how to design these technologies for human values becomes the critical area of intervention. This paper takes up the case study of robotic AI-based assistance systems to explore the potential value implications that emerge due to current design practices and use. The design methodology known as Value Sensitive Design (VSD) is proposed as a sufficient starting point for designing these technologies for human values to address these issues.

Ethics of Smart Cities: Towards Value-Sensitive Design and Co-Evolving City Life

The digital revolution has brought about many societal changes such as the creation of “smart cities”. The smart city concept has changed the urban ecosystem by embedding digital technologies in the city fabric to enhance the quality of life of its inhabitants. However, it has also led to some pressing issues and challenges related to data, privacy, ethics inclusion, and fairness. While the initial concept of smart cities was largely technology- and data-driven, focused on the automation of traffic, logistics and processes, this concept is currently being replaced by technology-enabled, human-centred solutions. However, this is not the end of the development, as there is now a big trend towards “design for values”. In this paper, we point out how a value-sensitive design approach could promote a more sustainable pathway of cities that better serves people and nature. Such “value-sensitive design” will have to take ethics, law and culture on board. We discuss how organising the digital world in a participatory way, as well as leveraging the concepts of self-organisation, self-regulation, and self-control, would foster synergy effects and thereby help to leverage a sustainable technological revolution on a global scale. Furthermore, a “democracy by design” approach could also promote resilience.

Start with the Human, Technology Comes Later: Values for the Digital Transformation of Peacekeeping

Abstract As the United Nations inevitably embarks on the digital transformation of peacekeeping, it raises key questions—‘technology’ or ‘human’ first. This paper argues that narrowly focusing on technical solutions may move this world body closer to a modern infrastructure, but misses it opportunities for bigger, more impactful peacekeeping process improvement. Whereas, starting with ‘humans’ or peacekeepers, their goals and pain points and the context of their interactions, means that solutions are targeting meaningful outcomes, not just new software. Using the value sensitive design approach to technology design, the paper extends its application to peacekeeping by integrating human values and the values instantiated in existing or imagined technical designs. These values were distilled out of a mixed methods study carried out at a peace mission deployed in Africa. Analysis identified four horizontal themes (positive UX, integration, connectivity and privacy) across three use contexts (workplace productivity, personal physical safety and well-being). Core values were being safe, family connection, doing work well and being cared for by their organization. Such human-centred technological interventions will enhance the needed capabilities for the peacekeeping forces to win when they need to and to safely enforce lasting peace in a dominant but non-violent fashion where possible.

Value-Sensitive Design of Unmanned Aerial Systems

What happens when an engineer attempts to address the value-neutral paradigm and the holistic deficits in engineering science? This paper sets out to account for the interplay between an unmanned aerial system engineer acting as a “champion” of value sensitive design (VSD) and their more objectivist research organization. Action research methods are used by the authors in an attempt to implement VSD in a real-world research organization and thereby bridge the theory-practice gap. Primary empirical data are collected which indicate the engineer has internalized and often utilizes a VSD approach. Both barriers and catalysts to wider adoption of VSD within the organization are experienced, and recommendations for overcoming paradigmatic, strategic, structural, and cultural barriers are addressed. This work demonstrates how action research can be used to shift engineering away from a value-neutral paradigm towards the value-sensitive approach advocated by the authors.

Value-Sensitive Design for Feminist Technology: Designing for “Feminist Fatherhood” with Nonwhite Latinx and White Fathers

Value-sensitive design is an approach that seeks to explicitly center the values of design stakeholders. In doing so, the method provides a rich analytical backdrop in which to explore how participants make sense of values and embody values in their designs. In this study, I explore the broad question of how a value-sensitive design approach can be used to surface, address, and possibly reconcile the similar and different culturally informed ways we make sense of being feminist fathers. Two groups of self-proclaimed feminist fathers, white non-Latinx and nonwhite Latinx, engaged in a value-sensitive design approach to designing technology to support their conceptualizations of feminist fatherhood. Four themes around differences between the groups and the kinds of reflections the participants engaged in are summarized. Based on our findings, I contribute suggestions for adapting value-sensitive design approaches to scaffold certain kinds of reflection around authenticity and interpretation in ways that are more grounded in themes of nondominance.

Implicating Human Values for designing a Digital Government Collaborative Platform for Environmental Issues: A Value Sensitive Design Approach

Digital technology is instrumental in designing e-government services to achieve environmental sustainability. This study aims to implicate essential human values for designing a Digital Government Collaborative Platform (DGCP), which seeks to enhance the collaboration between citizens and government officers to address environmental issues in Sri Lanka. The study adopts a value sensitive design (VSD) approach to identify human values to conceptualize the design. The results reveal 15 human values shared by citizens and officers of environmental authorities: transparency, safety, universal usability, feedback, authenticity, fairness, representativeness, accountability, legitimacy, informed consent, autonomy, awareness, human welfare, attitude, and trust. In addition to the identified human values, four system feature categories have been proposed from interviews. Thus, the study advances knowledge in designing an e-government system for collaboration between citizens and government officers, especially in tackling environmental problems in developing countries. Further, the study contributes knowledge to VSD for digital collaboration for improving environmental sustainability.

Designing AI for Explainability and Verifiability: A Value Sensitive Design Approach to Avoid Artificial Stupidity in Autonomous Vehicles

One of the primary, if not most critical, difficulties in the design and implementation of autonomous systems is the black-boxed nature of the decision-making structures and logical pathways. How human values are embodied and actualised in situ may ultimately prove to be harmful if not outright recalcitrant. For this reason, the values of stakeholders become of particular significance given the risks posed by opaque structures of intelligent agents. This paper explores how decision matrix algorithms, via the belief-desire-intention model for autonomous vehicles, can be designed to minimize the risks of opaque architectures. Primarily through an explicit orientation towards designing for the values of explainability and verifiability. In doing so, this research adopts the Value Sensitive Design (VSD) approach as a principled framework for the incorporation of such values within design. VSD is recognized as a potential starting point that offers a systematic way for engineering teams to formally incorporate existing technical solutions within ethical design, while simultaneously remaining pliable to emerging issues and needs. It is concluded that the VSD methodology offers at least a strong enough foundation from which designers can begin to anticipate design needs and formulate salient design flows that can be adapted to the changing ethical landscapes required for utilisation in autonomous vehicles.

A value-sensitive design approach to minimize value tensions in software-based risk-assessment instruments

ABSTRACT Many authorities currently use software-based risk-assessment instruments (SBRAIs) to assess a person’s potential to commit crimes (e.g. terrorism, sexual assault). SBRAIs promise better, faster, and more consistent decision-making than their paper-based predecessors. The underlying SBRAI classification schema is well-understood, but given the potentially serious ethical consequences of misjudgments, there is a lack of understanding of how a newly introduced IT artefact, or digital transformation, affects the overall process. Applying a value-centric lens and using Value Sensitive Design (VSD), we identify users’ most relevant SBRAI values, as well as the existing value tensions between developers and users. We find that various value tensions, which had not been an issue prior to digitization, occur. These are tensions regarding the values traceability, reliability, neutrality, support, and trust. These value tensions often emerge due to misunderstandings and miscommunications that unclear classifications enable. Practitioners should therefore focus on four design guidelines to avoid SBRAI value tensions: constant and accessible information, transparency, isolated use anticipation, and compliance with novice and expert users’ requirements.

Mapping value sensitive design onto AI for social good principles

Value sensitive design (VSD) is an established method for integrating values into technical design. It has been applied to different technologies and, more recently, to artificial intelligence (AI). We argue that AI poses a number of challenges specific to VSD that require a somewhat modified VSD approach. Machine learning (ML), in particular, poses two challenges. First, humans may not understand how an AI system learns certain things. This requires paying attention to values such as transparency, explicability, and accountability. Second, ML may lead to AI systems adapting in ways that ‘disembody’ the values embedded in them. To address this, we propose a threefold modified VSD approach: (1) integrating a known set of VSD principles (AI4SG) as design norms from which more specific design requirements can be derived; (2) distinguishing between values that are promoted and respected by the design to ensure outcomes that not only do no harm but also contribute to good, and (3) extending the VSD process to encompass the whole life cycle of an AI technology to monitor unintended value consequences and redesign as needed. We illustrate our VSD for AI approach with an example use case of a SARS-CoV-2 contact tracing app.