The Design Society’s Code of Professional Conduct

Updated on 13th March 2024

CODE SUMMARY

The fundamental purpose of the Design Society is to create and propagate a body of knowledge in design through research, education and practice.  This includes advocating for the excellent conduct of this research, education and practice, and for a culture within the Society and its members that sustains and rewards this.  The Society’s members (the Members) are expected to observe the highest standards of ethics and integrity in undertaking their activities within and associated with the Society. Ethics and integrity are not an “optional extra” or a “regulatory burden” but an integral part of good professional practice. The Members' duty to behave ethically is, in effect, the duty to behave honourably: ‘to do the right thing’. At its most basic, this duty means that Members should be truthful, honest, unbiased and respectful in dealings with colleagues, other professionals, and anyone else they come into contact with.  Members shall abide by the codes of ethics, conduct and laws in force in the countries and jurisdictions where they provide professional services. Application to Society membership automatically implies an agreement to abide by the Society's Code of Professional Conduct.

THE CODE

Purpose

The Design Society has adopted a Code of Professional Conduct to lay down the standards by which its members should abide, both for its members and for the general public. The code applies to all its members, irrespective of grade, professional role, and country in which they work. Application to Society membership automatically implies agreement to abide by the Society's Code of Professional Conduct.

Preamble

The fundamental purpose of the Design Society is to create and propagate a body of knowledge in design through research, education and practice.  This includes advocating for the excellent conduct of this research, education and practice, and for a culture within the Society and its members that sustains and rewards this.  The Society’s members (the Members) are expected to observe the highest standards of ethics and integrity in undertaking their activities within and associated with the Society. Ethics and integrity are not an “optional extra” or a “regulatory burden” but an integral part of good professional practice.

The following statement sets out key principles and behaviours of an ethical nature.

Professional conduct

In the course of their activities within and associated with the Society, Members should:

1. Act with due skill, care and diligence and with proper regard for professional standards.
2. Seek to maintain and enhance their competences, undertaking only professional tasks for which they are competent, and disclosing relevant limitations of competence.
3. Seek to follow appropriate procedures, keeping adequate records and applying appropriate rigour in their work.  In particular, researchers should conduct and communicate their research in a manner that best enables it to be reproduced, and should make every effort to ensure the accuracy of data and of reported results.
4. Act with due skill, care and diligence and with proper regard for professional standards.
5. Accept appropriate responsibility for work carried out under their supervision.
6. Avoid where possible real or perceived conflict of interest, and advise affected parties when such conflicts arise.
7. Avoid actions that compel others to take inappropriate steps, or place undue constraints on others.
8. Raise a concern about a danger, risk, malpractice or wrongdoing which affects others (‘blow the whistle’), and support a colleague or any other person to whom there is a duty of care who in good faith raises any such concern.
9. Not seek to represent the Society, or to issue public statements on its behalf, without the express authority of the Board of Management.

Respect for others

In the course of their activities within and associated with the Society, Members should:

1. Treat all persons fairly, with respect, and without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.
2. Avoid any discriminatory behaviour or practice, bullying or harassment.
3. Promote tolerance of differing views and of diversity, within a collegiate, welcoming atmosphere.
4. Work to ensure equality of access to, and participation in, the activities of the Society.
5. Observe the proper duties of confidentiality owed to appropriate parties.
6. Respect the rights of intellectual property, as an underpinning principle of the Society and in particular to be open in acknowledgment of sources or collaborators.
7. Be generous in promoting shared understanding and in supporting colleagues in their professional and intellectual development.

Safeguarding of people, property and the environment

In the course of their activities within and associated with the Society, Members should:

1. Seek to prevent avoidable danger to health or safety, and avoidable risk to both physical and cyber security.
2. Act in accordance with the principles of sustainability, seeking to minimise adverse impact on the environment and on society.

Financial and related probity

In the course of their activities within and associated with the Society, Members should:

1. Adopt the highest standards in handling any financial matters concerned with these activities
2. Not misuse entrusted power for personal gain, for example seeking or taking inducement in the form of gifts, rewards or favours in return for actions which are unethical or a breach of trust.

The Duty to Behave Ethically

The Members' duty to behave ethically is, in effect, the duty to behave honourably: ‘to do the right thing’. At its most basic, this duty means that Members should be truthful, honest, unbiased and respectful in dealings with colleagues, other professionals, and anyone else they come into contact with.  Members shall abide by the codes of ethics, conduct and laws in force in the countries and jurisdictions where they provide professional services.

Application to Society membership automatically implies an agreement to abide by the Society's Code of Professional Conduct.

Breach of this code will result in deliberation by the Board of Management and/or the Advisory Board, and possible actions up to removal from the Society.

Review of Code

This Code of Conduct is the responsibility of the Board of Management, and the Membership Committee is charged with reviewing it on a regular basis, at least every 4 years.