Sci-fi movies and shows explore the metaverse through inspiring emotional stories about underdogs who fight corruption and advocate for a more fair and empathy driven space. While I wholeheartedly align with this messaging, in order to create that equitable reality, I believe we need to evolve our current human-centered design framework to support initiatives as big and complex as the metaverse.

In the movie Belle and the anime Sword Art Online, the metaverse is depicted as a virtual playground for teenagers after school, disconnected politically, economically, and structurally from the real world. In contrast, Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One envisions the metaverse as society’s new central hub, forcing the conditions in the physical world to adapt alongside it. These films collectively illustrate the evolution of the metaverse, from a novel innovation to an essential component of our shared systems.

As a designer, when I’m thinking about how I can contribute to the development of the metaverse, considering the fact that the whole point of an evolved system is that it is created over time, I got stuck wondering if it’s even possible to design an evolved system. Outlining the society is the easy part, just look at the countless manifestos throughout history. We should be focusing on designing for an evolved system. The challenge is looking at our current system and figuring out how to responsibly get there.

I believe it’s not enough to design how we want the metaverse to function. Instead, we must intentionally design every step of the journey toward this evolved system. This includes understanding and acknowledging the many whose realities don’t enable them to have the option to keep up proactively with how fast technology and social spaces are changing. An equitable system can only emerge if equity is embedded from the very beginning. We can’t design the initial stages of this journey with a narrow focus on meeting the needs and expectations of early adopters who currently have the buying power and emotional space for this technology.

Right now, companies are racing to create half-baked and rapidly implementable virtual spaces that can irresponsibly set the precedent for how the metaverse operates, who it serves, and what impact is valued and sought out. (Trust me, I know, I worked on a research team for one of them).

After recognizing the power and potential of the metaverse, I began researching it in my free time. What started as a mix of anxiety and confusion quickly evolved into a deeper exploration of the philosophical responsibilities of designers. Concepts like the distinction between ableism and universal design, actor-network theory, and IDEO’s human-centered design became stepping stones, ultimately guiding me toward the creation of Impact Design.

Impact Design is my vision for how human-centered design can evolve to address initiatives as vast and complex as the metaverse. It’s the framework I’m dedicated to exploring, refining, and ultimately bringing to life.

For me, the defining characteristic of Impact Design is its focus on how a product, experience, or message influences society as a whole. It goes beyond addressing the needs of direct users, delving into how the design’s presence within a system shapes attitudes, relationships, and realities for various groups—particularly those who are marginalized or excluded from categories like innovators, early adopters, and the early majority. Impact Designers view society as an interconnected, complex system and understand that their work both shapes and is shaped by the broader collective conversation. As an Impact Designer, I aim to create, improve, and contribute to systems that ensure equitable opportunities and resources, empowering individuals to meet the unique needs dictated by their realities and pathways to fulfillment.

I understand that the sentiment driving Impact Design isn’t groundbreaking, and I hope it’s something most designers already embrace. The challenge, however, lies in the complexity, nuance, and, most importantly, the thick data required to gain a high enough vantage point over the space. Only then can a designer begin translating insights into actionable design criteria. I suspect what discourages companies from investing in this type of research is the considerable time and resources needed before they can receive a return on their investment.