A designer is responsible for creating solutions that meet the client's brief while protecting the interests of the community and minimizing environmental harm. These responsibilities must be balanced through informed, ethical and evidence-based decisions.
In C1.1, responsibility of the designer means being accountable for the intended and unintended consequences of a design. Designers must consider all relevant stakeholders, not only the person or organization paying for the product.
| Stakeholder | Designer's responsibilities | Example application |
|---|---|---|
| Clients | Satisfy the design brief, communicate honestly, respect budgets and deadlines, protect confidential information and intellectual property, and comply with regulations. | A designer should explain if a client's cost target would compromise product safety or quality. |
| Community | Consider safety, accessibility, inclusivity, cultural values, employment and wider social effects. Consult affected stakeholders where appropriate. | Public seating should be safe and accessible to users with different physical needs. |
| Environment | Reduce resource and energy consumption, pollution and waste across the product's life cycle. Consider durability, repair, reuse, disassembly, recycling and responsible disposal. | An appliance can use replaceable components so that one failure does not require disposal of the entire product. |
The designer should first identify stakeholders and their needs, then establish requirements and constraints. Next, the designer assesses potential social, economic and environmental impacts, compares alternatives, and justifies trade-offs using evidence. Testing and stakeholder feedback allow the solution to be refined.
For example, a client may request low-cost packaging. The designer should also consider whether it is safe and accessible for the community and whether its materials, manufacture, transport and disposal cause unnecessary environmental damage.
A common misconception is that the designer's only responsibility is to satisfy the client. The client may not be the end user, and legal compliance represents a minimum standard rather than the full extent of ethical responsibility.
Exam technique: For an instruction such as “discuss” or “evaluate,” address all three stakeholder groups, explain conflicts between their needs, and reach a justified conclusion. Avoid producing a simple list without showing consequences or trade-offs.