Ethics is a core part of IB Design Technology, yet many students struggle to handle it properly. Ethical issues are often mentioned briefly in answers, but without clear explanation or evaluation. This leads to lost marks, especially in extended-response exam questions.
In IB Design Technology, ethics is not about personal opinions. It is about evaluating the consequences of design decisions on users, society, and the environment.
What Are Ethical Issues in Design Technology?
Ethical issues arise when a design decision affects:
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User safety and wellbeing
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Environmental sustainability
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Social responsibility
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Fairness, accessibility, or inclusion
In IB Design Technology, students are expected to recognise these impacts and evaluate whether design choices are responsible and justified.
Ethics focuses on should we design this this way, not just can we.
Why Ethics Is Frequently Tested in Exams
Ethics appears regularly in IB Design Technology exams because it:
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Encourages higher-order thinking
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Links design to real-world consequences
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Allows evaluation rather than memorisation
Exam questions often present a product or scenario and ask students to analyse or evaluate ethical implications. Students who can balance benefits and drawbacks score significantly higher.
Common Ethical Issues in IB Design Technology
User Safety
One of the most common ethical concerns is user safety.
Students may be asked to consider:
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Risk of injury
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Long-term health effects
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Whether safety has been prioritised over cost or aesthetics
Ethical evaluation involves explaining how poor design could harm users and how safer alternatives could reduce risk.
Environmental Impact
Environmental ethics appear frequently, especially alongside sustainability.
This includes:
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Resource depletion
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Waste generation
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Pollution during production or disposal
Strong answers evaluate whether a design responsibly balances functionality with environmental impact, rather than simply stating that a product is “eco-friendly.”
Inclusive and Accessible Design
Designs that exclude certain users raise ethical concerns.
IB expects students to consider:
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Accessibility for users with disabilities
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Age-related limitations
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Cultural and social inclusivity
Ignoring certain user groups for convenience or cost is often considered ethically weak.
Planned Obsolescence
Another common ethical issue is designing products to fail or become obsolete quickly.
Students may need to evaluate:
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Whether short product lifespans benefit manufacturers unfairly
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The environmental cost of frequent replacement
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Ethical alternatives that promote durability
This topic often appears in evaluation-style questions.
Data and Privacy (Emerging Area)
With increased use of digital and electronic systems, ethics around data collection and privacy are becoming more relevant.
Students may be asked to consider:
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How user data is collected
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Whether users are informed or protected
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Risks of misuse or surveillance
Ethical design involves transparency and responsibility.
How to Write Strong Ethics-Based Exam Answers
High-scoring ethics answers:
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Identify the ethical issue clearly
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Explain who is affected
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Evaluate consequences and trade-offs
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Avoid extreme or emotional language
Balanced evaluation is key. IB does not reward one-sided arguments.
Ethics in the Design Project
In the design project, ethics should appear naturally through:
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User safety considerations
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Material choices
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Sustainability decisions
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Honest evaluation of limitations
Ethics should be integrated, not added as an afterthought.
Common Ethics Mistakes Students Make
Students often lose marks by:
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Listing ethical issues without explanation
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Writing personal opinions instead of evaluation
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Ignoring trade-offs
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Treating ethics as a separate topic rather than part of design
Ethics must always link back to the design context.
Final Thoughts
Ethical issues are central to IB Design Technology because design shapes how people live and interact with the world. Students who evaluate ethical implications clearly and objectively gain a strong advantage in exams and coursework.
RevisionDojo Tip
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