Why Design Ethics Matter: A Conversation with Mike Monteiro

Mike Monteiro is never one to mince words. Known for his fierce advocacy for ethical design, he reminds us that while designers have immense influence over what gets built, they too often act without considering the consequences.

“We’re the people who decide what gets made. We’re the gatekeepers. We’re the ones who decide whether that app gets built, whether that website goes live, whether that facial recognition software sees the light of day.“

In an exclusive interview with The Grey Area, Monteiro reflects on how the role of design has drastically evolved. What once revolved around playful experimentation, like customising MySpace pages or creating digital stickers, has become a high-stakes practice that shapes how we work, communicate, and interact with the world. With that shift comes a critical need for accountability. Designers are not just decorators. They are architects of systems, behaviours, and power structures. Monteiro points out that while industries like law and medicine require professionals to follow ethical codes, design has largely avoided such scrutiny, despite having just as much impact on people’s lives.

Monteiro is passionate about working with clients who use design for good. “We love working with people who are trying to make the world a little better. Whether that’s making books that are accessible to people who don’t have a lot of money or doing branding for a refugee nonprofit.” But he warns that good intentions alone are not enough. Volunteering for ethical causes while continuing to do unethical work during the day does not cancel out the harm.

“You don’t get to go work at Facebook and then at night go design a poster for a refugee rights group and think that you’ve evened the scales. You haven’t. You’ve still made the world worse.”

For Monteiro, ethical design starts with daily decisions, not grand gestures. It is about having the courage to say no to harmful work and using your position to advocate for what is right. His challenge to designers is both simple and difficult: acknowledge the power you have, and be brave enough to use it responsibly.

We’d love to hear from you—who would you like to see interviewed next on The Grey Area? Let us know in the comments or tag us on social media with your suggestions. Over the next month, we’ll be featuring an exciting line-up of thought leaders and industry voices who are shaping the future of ethical UX. Stay tuned.

This blog post has been re-written as a hypothetical interview for the purpose of fulfilling this assignment. The ideas and sentiments are drawn from a real interview originally given by Mike Monteiro published by Scout Books. The original interview can be accessed at:

Monteiro, M. (no date) Why design ethics matter. Scout Books. Available at: https://scoutbooks.com/design-ethics-mike-monteiro/