​

Code & Conscience #018

Listen to this issue on YouTube

In this Issue

I’m so excited to wrap up this three-part series! As many of you know, I've been wrestling with how to build tech products that people genuinely love without accidentally setting the world on fire. That wrestling match turned into my upcoming book! This newsletter series is our third in-depth exploration of the ideas inside.

And my book is an attempt to give the practical guide I wish I had: one that connects Tech Strategy (what we choose to build) with Systems Thinking (how we understand its complex growth) and Equitable Systems (who it ultimately helps).

We’re concluding with Equitable Systems. If you missed the first and second issues on Tech Strategy and Systems Thinking, then click on the links to read them.

The Ethical Compass: Designing for Equitable Systems

An understanding of equitable systems provides the necessary ethical compass for a well-rounded tech strategy. It ensures that the benefits of the product are distributed fairly and that the product does not reinforce or amplify existing social and environmental harms.

1. Equity as a Design Constraint

It is easy to think that tech is neutral. Code and systems have neither sentiments nor ulterior motives. Although that is true in theory, we know not everyone benefits the same way from technology. Equitable systems remind us that how we build matters as much as what we build. They make us ask questions we might usually skip. Questions like, “Who gets left behind?” and “Why does it matter?”

In tech, speed, growth, and scale usually dominate the conversation, and that’s fine, but equity should not just be a side note. It has to be part of the conversation from day one.

One way to think about this is through Value Sensitive Design (VSD), which is a theoretical and practical approach to technology design that respects and promotes human values. I believe ignoring values in the design process is irresponsible.​

Here’s how that can play out in real life:

• Algorithmic bias: Systems don’t break the same way for everyone. Sometimes models quietly favor certain groups and disadvantage others.
• Accessibility: When a product or service fails certain users because it was not designed with them in mind, everyone involved loses. I’ve seen that when accessibility is considered from the beginning, more people can participate fully and independently.
• The digital divide: Many builders assume all users have fast internet, modern devices, or certain tech skills. Meanwhile, this approach quietly shuts out developing communities. Could we design differently so more people can actually join in? VSD encourages us to consider a diverse set of perspectives to uncover hidden value tensions.​

When equity is treated as a constraint, fairness stops being accidental. It becomes something we intentionally build into the product. Equitable products are not just ethically right—they also drive stronger, more resilient adoption, satisfaction, and long-term engagement.​

2. The Planet as a Stakeholder

What a lot of people don't know is that equity doesn't stop at people, especially with the current technological climate. Environmental disparity first impacts communities already facing systemic challenges. Tech infrastructure uses energy, produces waste, and relies on resources, and the real costs often land on those with the least power.

That’s why sustainability isn’t just a “nice to have.” Green tech is a strategy. (Just take the recent news of Alphabet acquiring clean energy company, Intersect.) Optimizing cloud usage, for example, cuts costs and lowers carbon footprint. So you see, choosing energy-efficient architecture helps companies financially and environmentally.

​Responsible innovation also asks us to consider not just how products are built, but how they age, fail, and are discarded. Devices and hardware have lifecycles. Ignoring longevity, repairability, or reuse results in waste that impacts actual communities close to extraction sites, factories, and landfills. This burden can be lessened by designing with the circular economy in mind.

We stay honest when we treat the environment as a stakeholder. It serves as a reminder that advancement shouldn't come at the expense of individuals or locations that are hidden from us.

3. Completing the Strategy Circle

A strong tech strategy isn’t just about hitting numbers or growing adoption. I see it as building products that actually work for people and for the planet.

• Strategy helps us figure out what we’re aiming for.
• Equitable systems show the boundaries we won’t compromise.
• Systems thinking helps us connect the dots, showing how our choices ripple through social and environmental systems.

When these three ideas come together, technology becomes more than functional. It becomes something people trust, rely on, and feel good using. This integrated mindset is the future of truly “well-loved,” successful, and sustainable tech leadership.

Around the Web

▶️ The Wisdom We Need to Design Humane Technology by Center for Humane Technology​

​📖 SXSW panel: Building the future of digital products by Adobe Design​

​📖 Trailblazers: Aubrey Blanche, Equitable Design Leader by Rebekah Bastian​

Good news, everyone! I'm now partnering with Bookshop.org to bring you recommendations based on books I'm reading on this issue's topics. That means I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, and your purchases support local bookstores! Bookshop.org has raised over $40M for independent book stores around the world!

Take a look at the new reads this week, all available on Bookshop.org​

​

Erica Stanley Engineering Leader, Community Builder, Speaker, Contributor

Code & Conscience is my way of thinking out loud with friends (that’s you, btw) about how we as technologists–builders, creators, leaders–impact the world around us with what we choose to build and how we build it.

Follow me on all socials​
​

Erica on LinkedIn

@ericastanley.com on Bluesky

Book Erica to Speak

​Unsubscribe · Preferences​