DESIGN FOR PRIVACY

An expert in digital design makes the case for information privacy in this debut book.

“Globally, companies are tracking your digital exhaust every moment you’re online,” writes Stribley, adding that for many apps and websites, “you are the product.” He begins the book with an impassioned case for the value of privacy, particularly for those who shrug apathetically as they assert, “I’ve got nothing to hide.” This defense of privacy draws on his own personal experiences advocating on behalf of frightened LGBTQIA+ students who attended a private university that monitored their internet access as well as young people with a compromised digital footprint who were fleeing abusive relationships. He also highlights recent examples of dystopian corporate practices, such as a vacuum cleaner with a camera that uploaded photographs from customers’ homes to the manufacturer for AI training, and the automaker Kia’s privacy policy, which authorized the company to collect data related to a customer’s “sex life.” After making a powerful defense of the value of privacy that’s applicable to readers of all backgrounds, the book shifts its focus to interface and product designers, developers, and project managers, offering both an ethical and pragmatic argument for why they should pay closer attention to privacy issues in their work. He notes, for instance, that companies not only have specific civic responsibilities, but that misleading or deliberatively obtuse policies can damage their reputation. With over two decades of experience as a user experience (UX) design professional, and the recent founder of his own UX consulting company, Stribley offers practical advice for designers on how to ethically handle personal data, how to avoid deceptive patterns, and how to maximize transparency and honesty in their language. The book includes a network of research endnotes; full-color, high-resolution photographs, charts, diagrams, and textbox vignettes; and a “Privacy by Design Cheat Sheet” for designers.

A compelling, user-friendly guidebook to the value of privacy in user experience design.