Ethical issues in engineering design - 3TU.Centre for Ethics and ...

Engineering ethics and design processes
Vincenti’s description of radical design focuses on the structure and physical
aspects of the design. For my purpose, it is useful to introduce a somewhat
broader definition of radical design. In design, function and structure are joined
in an artefact (cf. [Kroes, 2002] and [www.dualnature.tudelft.nl]). This means
that a design can also be radical with regard to its function or design criteria. An
explicit choice can be made at the beginning of the design process to change the
usual idea of a good product of this product type. This means setting different
criteria or changing the relative importance of criteria. For example, speed is
often accorded some importance but it is usually not the most important
criterion in the design of a car. The standard idea of a good car is a safe, reliable
and perhaps fast car. If the aim of a design process is to design a car that can
break the sound barrier, this is a radical design process. Radical designing in this
functional way can make reconsideration of the operational principle and the
normal configuration necessary. Reconsidering may, but does not have to, lead
to changes in the operational principle or normal configuration. Thus a radical
design process with regard to the function may lead to a radical design of the
physical structure, but this is not necessarily so. It is also possible that a new
operational principle leads to new criteria.
Regulative framework
Vincenti claims that there are more external constraints in normal as opposed to
radical design [Vincenti, 1992]. Normal design is a form of standard design
practice guided by existing formal and informal rules. A system of regulations
and formal rules concerning a product exists in normal design. I will refer to this
system as a regulative framework. A regulative framework for a certain product
consists of all relevant regulation, national and international legislation, technical
codes and standards and rules for controlling and certifying products. A
regulative framework is socially sanctioned, for example by a national or the
European parliament or by organisations that approve technical codes. Besides
the technical codes and legislation, interpretation of legislation and technical
codes are part of the regulative framework. Interpretations of codes and
legislation can be provided by the controlling and certifying organizations and
also by engineering societies for example in the courses they organise for
engineers on state of the art design practices. Engineering societies can also
formulate a code of ethics. This code is also part of the regulative framework.
Note that the regulative framework does not include company specific norms
and standards. If company specific norms and standards were to be included
then the regulative framework would differ in different companies. Companies
are restricted in formulating company specific norms and standards, because
these norms and standards have to meet the rules and regulations of the
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