A Conceptual Model and Metaplatform for Public Interest Technology Design

Like designing systems to advance or achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG), designing public interest technologies (PIT) needs to prioritize qualitative values of people and communities as suprafunctional requirements. This can be seen as in the instance of applying the methodology of value-sensitive design (VSD). However, with PIT, there are a number of correlated concepts: having established the value that is in the public interest to be monitored, measured or maintained, it is necessary to identify and design for expectations, accountability, and reflexivity. In this article, we present a conceptual model of concepts involved in public interest technology design, and specify a metaplatform that could be used to implement such designs. We conclude by arguing that this approach supports participatory design involving all the stakeholders impacted by PIT, which, if seen to the product of both joint design and joint debate, would be more likely to be accepted, used, and trusted by communities.