Episode 20: What about care, caution and ethics?

In this episode of the Thinking through Design podcast, host Adam Fromme sits down with Sébastien Proulx, PhD.

“What care allows us to do is to put attention to issues that are often overlooked.”

Their conversation explores how care—not just empathy—can serve as an ethical foundation for design practice. Rather than rushing to define problems or impose tidy solutions, they advocate slowing down judgment and using ethics as navigation. When this happens, empathy doesn’t disappear, but becomes part of a larger ethical loop, what Sébastien calls a “virtuous circle” between empathy and care. Through student projects and teaching reflections, they discuss how care challenges assumptions about speed, efficiency, and clarity, encouraging designers to navigate ethical ambiguity with humility and thoughtfulness. Ultimately, they argue that designers offer more than aesthetics by bringing a unique lens that helps teams see, hold, and give form to the messy realities of real life.

Sébastien Proulx is an Associate Professor at École de technologie Supérieure in Montreal and is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Ohio State University. Previously, he was an Associate Professor in the Department of Design at OSU. Before joining Ohio State, he taught at the University of Montreal for 12 years, focusing on social service design and visual communication for industrial design students. He holds a PhD and Master of Applied Science in Design from the University of Montreal. Dr. Proulx’s research explores the role of designers in shaping public services and policies, drawing on moral sociology and care ethics. His work aims to expand design’s impact in public service development and equip designers with the skills to navigate complex social and political landscapes.

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