In the design industry, codes of conduct and social responsibility are essential for maintaining ethical standards and ensuring that design positively impacts society. Many standards have aligned concepts:
- First Things First manifesto (four revisions: original 1964 by Ken Garland (Design is History, n.d.), then 1999, 2014 and 2020) promotes design purpose over consumerism, protection of personal data, supporting community-based efforts, human rights, and justice.
- Design Institute of Australia’s Code of Conduct (DIA, n.d.).includes the responsibility to community, client, and other designers. This Code talks about ethical and professional conduct, avoiding conflicts of interest, and not engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct.
- The Australian Graphic Design Association’s Code of Ethics (AGDA, n.d.).also focuses on the designer’s adherence to environmental protection, avoiding conflicts of interest, and maintaining professional conduct, for the community, client and other designers.
- The Australian Design Council Manifesto (Australian Design Council, n.d.).blends economic growth with innovation in ethical design across all sectors. The Councils objectives are to promote the value of design in the economy, embed design in national policy, and provide oversight of the nation’s design capability for future prosperity.
As a CPA and Registered Tax Agent, I note these codes are like APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (APESB, 2023) and the Tax Practitioners Board Code of Professional Conduct (Tax Practitioners Board, 2024). Indeed, in accordance with these, I would not represent both the buyer and seller of a business, nor share client data with a third party without explicit client permission.