Intent and consent management: critical paths to realigning user-centric data-driven design

User-centric design hinges on two truths: honouring intent and managing consent.

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”- Edward Snowden

I’ve found myself in a contemplative state recently, pondering the evolving landscape of Human Centred Design (HCD). Often, I observe designers, who now seem to have a somewhat assembly line existence, meticulously piecing together UI components in an effort to ‘craft experiences. It’s an amusing irony, not lost on me, that the very individuals entrusted with shaping the digital realm are now part of a conveyor belt of creativity — or lack thereof. This might just be the beginning of an existential crisis for critical design within the technological cosmos. Companies of all shapes and sizes are donning the “tech” label with gusto, whether they belong to the legal fraternity, the finance world, or the insurance sector.