ABSTRACT
This chapter examines ethics in the field of design where ethics is broadly defined as the consideration of the moral dilemmas and consequences of human action. It provides an overview of the role of ethics in the emerging landscape of design research. In fall 2012 the American Anthropological Association (AAA) was wrapping up the latest revision of its Statement of Ethics. The theme of the 2012 AAA Annual Meeting, "Borders and Crossings", provided an opportunity to examine issues of ethics and ethical challenges related to anthropological practice in business and organizations in a session on Ethics in Business Anthropology. Designers working within healthcare arena have been faced not only with ethical concerns that do not exist in the purely commercial design world, but also with growing awareness of their responsibility to the people who will ultimately use or experience the artifacts that they design. Debates about whether or not designers have actually adopted "ethnography" are much less frequent these days.
