Value Sensitive Design (VSD) is a theoretically grounded approach to the design of technology that accounts for human values in a principled and comprehensive manner throughout the design process. Pioneered by UW professors with landmark studies on web browser security (2002), privacy in public (2006), urban simulation (2005) and transitional justice (2008/2015), VSD methodology includes conceptual, empirical, and technical investigations, and emphasizes indirect as well as direct stakeholders and the interactional relationship between values and technology. VSD has been broadly applied by scholars, policymakers, and the public to technologies ranging from robots and augmented reality to implantable medical devices and drones, and in the fields of civil engineering, transportation systems, and justice.
Contact: Professor Batya Friedman, batya@uw.edu
Visit the VSD website.