Ethics reflection
Reflecting on Toni Navarro's lecture for my project development
Toni Navarro's lecture on the ethics of design within human-technical cognitive assemblages provides a crucial lens to reflect on my current project, which explores the relationship between my body, sweat, and self-awareness through experimental design interventions. This reflection aims to analyze the ethical dimensions of my project, considering meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics, while also envisioning its ideal application and democratized design process.
1. Ethical dimensions
Meta-ethics: My project implicitly challenges societal assumptions about sweat, often viewed negatively or as something to be hidden. By bringing sweat into the spotlight, I question notions of cleanliness, body image, and social acceptance. The project embraces sweat as a natural bodily function, promoting self-acceptance and confronting social taboos.
Normative ethics: During its development, my project follows guidelines that prioritize honesty in self-exploration, respect for bodily integrity, and transparency in documenting the process. Ethical design practices such as consent, privacy (especially when sharing data or visuals of my body), and respect for the audience's perceptions are essential norms.
Applied ethics: Assessing the project's consequences involves considering its impact on societal views about sweat and body image. Negative outcomes, such as reinforcing discomfort or stigma, would prompt me to refine my narrative to emphasize empowerment and normalization. Protocols include gathering feedback from peers, reflecting on public reactions, and adapting my approach accordingly.
2. Design as material ethics
Design is a material way of doing ethics, shaping human actions and perceptions. In an ideal scenario, my project would foster a culture where bodily functions like sweat are seen as integral to human experience rather than flaws. My values of authenticity, self-awareness, and challenging social norms are embedded in the project by continuously using my own body as a medium. However, external factors like societal resistance, commercialization pressures, or misinterpretation of my intentions could deviate the project from its original path.
3. Democratizing the design process
To make my project transparent and collaborative, mechanisms such as open documentation (yhis website), workshops with peers, and feedback sessions are vital. The possibility of including marginalized communities, such as individuals with hyperhidrosis or those facing body shaming, ensures that diverse experiences are represented. Situated knowledges from these communities enrich my project, making it more inclusive and empathetic.
4. Non-human agency and technical components
The technical components of my project, such as sensors and pH-reactive materials, possess a degree of autonomy in how they capture and display bodily data. These non-human actants interact with my body, co-creating the project's outcomes. Recognizing their agency emphasizes that my project is a collaborative process between human intention and material response. My role as a designer is not of total control but of mediation, allowing materials and technologies to express themselves.
Conclusion
Navarro's lecture highlights that design is inherently ethical, shaping and being shaped by societal values. My project on sweat experimentation aligns with this by challenging social norms, respecting human agency, and embracing technological mediation. By democratizing my design process and acknowledging the agency of non-human components, I aim to create a project that is not only innovative but also ethically grounded and inclusive.