Regulations cannot catch up to the speed of innovation. Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, etc All these platforms had seen light for a decade while a significant portion of the world still struggles to figure out the boundaries and implications to daily life, let alone setting regulations. If we take a broader lens to look at innovation, the rate of innovation is only moving more rapidly than ever, which makes it more difficult to catch up.
Lawmakers are disconnected from the innovation scene
Take a look at the congressional hearing of both Facebook and Google: we can notice the disconnection between the lawmakers and new technology. It is not surprising because most of them are the older generation which is statistically not the target market of any of those technologies nor they belong to “Innovator,” “Early adopter,” or “Early Majority.” (Please see Law of Diffusion of innovation). Without extensive research, it would be difficult for these people to arm with the right knowledge and perspective to speak in congress on behalf of the people (user).
Legacy law-making process as the major issue
Most countries are still using a law-making system established decades ago, that is multi-layered and lengthy in process. As a result, it is time-consuming, prone to cognitive bias and inconclusive to a wider perspective. While we have seen digital transformation happening across industries, little do we see that happens in this area. Implications:
Emerging Trend: Designers as facilitators of law and regulation-making
While it is pleasing to see industry experts getting involved, it is also critical to inject the voice of the user in this process and to strike a balance between “User,” “Government,” and “Expert.” There is a need for design practitioners to facilitate meaningful conversations among all parties to come up with a way of work that is viable, feasible, and desirable. In the upcoming years, I see opportunities for the design community to step up and shape the way we live.
Case Study: AGL — Australia Energy Bill Design
Australian states have recently changed regulations over what to display in energy bills recently. It is now mandatory to highlight Implications:
This article was originally published on uxdesign.cc
