ABSTRACT
Creating conditions in which people and communities may flourish has always been a challenge for designers. Success may depend on a complex intermingling of external and internal factors—that is, the design of the physical environments in which people live and work and how this links with intangibles of thought and belief that unite and motivate people. Without this, outcomes may be unpredictable and, if overdesigned, could be instrumental in shaping behaviour. Overall, any design intervention, or lack of it, will bring a responsibility to observe ethical principles that govern the potential effects on human behaviour. Given the history of designed systems, these ethical principles have, in the past, been lacking with negligible evidence for public accountability. Knowing how to design tangible artefacts and intangible systems that, together, help individuals to flourish in a civilised state is a work in progress that will benefit from further research.
