Design as Protest: Practicing Ethical UX in Flawed Systems

Abstract

In this session, we’ll explore what it means to practice ethical UX from within and without systems that perpetuate harm. Drawing from the speaker’s experience as a Peace Corps volunteer, we’ll examine a real case study where misaligned goals, power imbalances, and unmet community needs challenged the promise of “design for good.”

Attendees will leave with frameworks for ethical mapping, deeper confidence discussing design dilemmas, and a reframed view of protest — as care, as pause, and as principled practice.

About

Marley Dizney Swanson | Senior UX Researcher

Marley Dizney Swanson is the Senior UX Researcher at MPB, the world’s largest platform for buying, selling and trading used photography and videography equipment. A mixed-methods researcher with a background in development work, they are trained in measuring real-world outcomes, not just outputs. They approach UX research with the same rigour, evaluating how design, product and service changes can improve people’s lives. 

As a Co-Organiser of LTUX Brighton, Marley has hosted events like CV Saturday and Building a Compelling Case Study and Portfolio. They have also spoken at several events including UXinsight, UX Camp Brighton and Dead Product Society. They have mentored 30+ researchers, helping early-career researchers launch and shape their careers with confidence. 

Marley’s work is grounded in a simple principle: research should improve lives, not just interfaces.