Towards a fairer sharing economy

Are you a product or interface designer, or are you interested in designing for social change? We want to hear from you.

• How can designers play a role in making the sharing economy fair?

This question is a challenge we have set for design students in the UK and internationally through developing an RSA Student Design Awards brief in this year’s competition. ‘Fair Share’ prompts students to consider various perspectives including that of platform providers, consumers, and both workers within the sharing economy and in other affected industries for example. Viable responses range from a campaign that helps users and workers understand rules and regulations around sharing to completely reimagining support systems for workers.

We have set this question in recognition that as important as technology has been in the building of sharing economy platforms, design has also played a significant role in enabling their widespread adoption and usage.

Design makes the difference between competitors; it underpins the decisions behind which platforms users select. The leading platforms in the sharing economy boast both powerful algorithms and easy-to-use, compelling interfaces that make for smoother user experiences.

The skill and unique insight into the human mind that designers possess can be applied to more than just creating the best interfaces. Designers can offer practical solutions to some of the emerging issues within the sharing economy. 

For more information on the challenge, please see the Student Design Awards website for details of the brief:http://sda.thersa.org/en/challenge/rsa-student-design-awards-2016/phase/rsa-student-design-awards-2016/track/fair-share-en