Most of the other design strategies discussed in this section focus more on making
the computer work. This may be either in the interest of providing a tool for the user
to be more successful or doing more so that less skilled workers may accomplish the
same tasks. With the Value Sensitive Design approach to software design, human values
such as freedom of speech, rights to property, accountability, privacy, and autonomy
are considered when software is being
designed.
The idea behind Value Sensitive Idea is that the way engineers create new software
or hardware makes it more suitable for some jobs over others. A simplified example would
be a hammer is better for driving nails, "poorly suited as a soup ladle, and perhaps amenable
as a doorstop, bookend, or paper weight." Although the values set forth by a system
cannot be completely controlled or known ahead of time, it is important to try to
assess the possibilities and design accordingly.
Comparison
Value Sensitive Design is still a much more theoretical design model compared to Participatory
Design. Participatory Design is much better suited at creating tools that users want and
deem most important in aiding their tasks. Also, it has the ability to take away much of the
guess work out of design because there are users who the developers question and receive
feedback from. With Value Sensitive Design, there is the possibility of over-thinking what
values are built into a system and may result in systems that aren't what the user truly
needs.
At the same time, Value Sensitive Design may be an important way to look at the development
of software. Generally speaking, what users what is not always the best for society as a
whole. For instance, software that allows the uninhibited sharing of commercial software or
music is arguably a bad thing. Creating software with this ability may lower the value of
copyrights in the minds of users because it is easy to do and there is little possibility of
reprimand when done moderately in private. Value Sensitive Design provides a much more
philosophical, but important view on technology that is built. It is an important tool for
considering the ethical nature of products and could be very useful if incorporated into
Participatory Design. In both systems, there is a sense of making technology that helps
people, not replaces them.