Simon van Acht
Design Ethicist
Workshop - English
Beyond Good Intentions: Ethics in Everyday Design
As designers and product teams, we shape choices for millions of users every day. But your backlog doesn't ask if it's the right thing to do. And someone has to.
This workshop treats ethics as a skill, not a value on the wall. It gives you a practical way to navigate the grey areas designers face daily: dark patterns disguised as growth hacks, accessibility trade-offs under deadline pressure, and AI features that quietly nudge behaviour.
Using real design dilemmas and a moral compass tool, participants work in small groups to weigh conflicting interests and defend their decisions under pressure.
You will leave with:
A framework for spotting ethical grey areas
Hands-on experience with a reflection tool for teams
Confidence to push back on harmful patterns
A concrete next step for your own product
For UX/product designers, researchers, and product leads ready to move ethics from theory into daily practice.
About Simon
Simon van Acht is a freelance design ethics trainer with over 18 years of experience. His mission: make the internet safer and fairer, by helping teams see the impact of their choices before users do. He trains and guides designers and product teams to make more responsible choices, acting as a "digital conscience" along the way.
Fun fact: he once got chased by a bear while hiking, and still rates it less stressful than a product review where nobody can explain why the signup flow asks for a user's birthday.