UX Fika Podcast #3: Cennydd Bowles on Prototyping the Future, Ethics in Design, and Lessons from Chess
In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I talk to Cennydd Bowles, technology ethicist, author of Future Ethics, and recently a Fulbright Scholar. Cennydd advises companies like Google, Mozilla, and the BBC on how to build more responsible, ethical, and inclusive technologies – and in this conversation, which just like the rest of season 1 is from 2021, we unpack how and why that work is more urgent than ever.
We talk about the ethical blind spots of our industry, the challenges of inclusive design, and how speculative design and “provocatypes” can help teams meaningfully explore the futures they’re shaping, often without realising it.
Cennydd shares his journey from designer to futurist, what it’s like being a lone voice for ethics in the room, and how tech workers are beginning to organise to push companies toward more responsible innovation. He also opens up about the realities of writing (and self-publishing) Future Ethics, what it takes to produce something of lasting value, and why he’s was going back to university to study Practical Ethics at Oxford.
Plus:
☕️ Why a cup of Earl Grey and a slice of Barabrith makes for an excellent fika.
🌟 Why you should try to remember when you wanted what you have now
What we cover:
00:00 Introduction to Design and Futurism
02:08 The Role of a Futurist in Design
02:20 On Being A Futurist06:57Ethics in Technology and Design
09:14 Challenges in the Tech Industry
11:30 Direct And Indirect Implications Of What We Design
13:23 Designing with Responsibility
17:23 Expanding the Scope of Design
20:15 The Future of Data Sharing
23:35 Navigating Ethical Conversations in Tech
28:11 Advice for Junior Designers on Ethics
32:18 Pursuing Further Education in Ethics
32:41 Pursuing Knowledge: A New Academic Journey
34:04 The Self-Publishing Experience
36:34 The Challenges of Writing
40:04 The Writing Process: Structure and Creativity
43:52 Reflections on Writing and Future Projects
46:58 Ethics in Technology and Non-Human Life
48:15 Personal Interests: Chess and Sports
53:11 The Impact of Travel on Life and Work
01:00:04 Life Reflections and Future Aspirations
Where you’ll find Cennydd:
Where you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:
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