Deliberate Intervention: Using Policy and Design to Blunt the Harms of New Technology

"Do no harm" is Alex Schmidt's mantra throughout —a book that delves into how policy and design can work together to prevent harms in technology. Using the journalistic approach she employed as an NPR reporter, Schmidt studies the history of policy making, its biases, and its evolution in the changing technology field. The beginning of each chapter highlights a graphic showing the transformation of policy and design, drawn by well–known illustrator, MJ Broadbent. Who Should Read This Book? This book is for anyone who is concerned about the harms of technology and interested in ways to circumvent them, i.e., policy makers, CEOs of tech companies, IT people, designers, lawyers, security analysts, product managers, healthcare workers, historians, writers—in other words, just about everyone. It’s particularly helpful for anyone who is designing anything that involves technology and is worried about the potential harm in their decision-making. Takeaways Readers will learn: Testimonials "Deliberate Intervention is an in–depth, thoroughly cited guide on the intersection of policy and design, employing a narrative style that makes the complex subject matter fun to read and easy to grok without losing any of its gravitas. An absolute must-read for any citizen designer.” — , Healthcare Design Strategist "What will it take to design technology that does less harm? This subtle book offers thoughtful, nuanced, sometimes unexpected answers. It's a good read for any curious user of technology. And for anyone who shapes or regulates new products, reading it is a step toward doing good by designing well." , staff writer, "This book is what America needs right now. With our democracy in dire straits and tech companies threatening our rights and privacy, the need for us to be proactive about policy is at an all-time high" , Senior Product Designer