Moral Value Map

Values are an important concept in ethics. With this tool you will look at which values are relevant to your design and how your design affects them. Doing this exercise with different stakeholders helps to understand everyone’s value priorities.

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Empty moral value template

The moral value map consists of 6 steps.

Step 1

Describe your design.

Step 2

Select the values that are relevant to your design.

Step 3

Translate the selected values to user concerns.

Step 4

Map the concerns and their interrelations.

Step 5

Describe the effect of your design on each of these concerns, using the words on the template.

Step 6

Finally, discuss the moral value map with all stakeholders.

Process

State your design. Ensure everyone agrees on what you are working on.
Select the human values that are relevant to your design.
Translate each value into a concern to describe how it is present in the context you are designing for. Write the concerns on post-its.
Map the relations between the different concerns. Discuss any conflicts between stakeholders. Not all conflicts must be resolved, some tension could inspire the design. But it should be clear which values you agree to prioritise.
Write down the design’s effect on each concern. Choose from: The design inhibits / supports / limits / enhances / prevents / enables / reinforces / undermines / challenges this concern.
Discuss the effect of the design on the different concerns. Also discuss any changes that should be made to the design.

SPECS

Suggested Time
30 - 60 minutes

Materials needed
Overview universal human values, this template, post-its, pens

Participants
Design team, stakeholders

Process phase
Framing, validating

All De-scription Ethical Disclaimer Moral Agent Normative Design Scheme Moral Value Map Ethical Contract

Moral Value Map tool

Moral Value Map

Process

SPECS