Designers, Tattooers, and the Dumpster Fires We Help Build

Mike Monteiro is angry. And for good reason: technology companies that once claimed they were here to “connect us” have, in many cases, done the opposite. They've exploited our attention, mined our data, and sold off pieces of our privacy to the highest bidder—all in service of profit. And who, Monteiro asks, are the ones designing this digital kindling? Who creates the trash that fuels these dumpster fires?

Designers.

As a designer, simply reading the cover of Monteiro’s book, Ruined by Design, I felt unfairly targeted.

And then I actually read the book... and felt very fairly targeted.

Monteiro doesn’t just wag his finger at tech bros in hoodies; he calls out the entire design profession for failing to take responsibility. Designers are not innocent bystanders—we're gatekeepers. We are the people who decide how something looks, feels, behaves. We help shape how information is presented, how systems operate, how users move through digital spaces. That means we are also responsible for asking the uncomfortable questions:

• Should we really keep tracking users’ locations after they’ve closed the app? (Looking at you, Uber.)

• Is it ethical to target ads at teenagers when they’re emotionally vulnerable? (You knew what you were doing, Facebook.)

If we don’t ask those questions—if we don’t acknowledge the power we hold in the iterative design process—then we become complicit. The good news? We can do better. But only if we admit that our work has consequences.

Lately, I’ve been straddling separate worlds: technology and tattooing. And as I move between the two, I can't help but wonder: what would it look like to apply some of Monteiro’s ethics to tattooing?

Because make no mistake—tattooers are designers. We design for skin, for bodies in motion. And our design decisions are, quite literally, permanent. Place something at the wrong angle, make it just a bit too big or too small, compromise on contrast or clarity—and someone lives with those choices for the rest of their life. That’s a heavy responsibility.

So… where’s our ethical framework?

Tattooing is a trade. It doesn’t have formal unionization or a central regulatory body—but maybe it’s time we start thinking in that direction. There’s space here to build something better:

• Ink regulation: We owe our clients transparency about what we’re putting into their bodies. Better regulation could ensure safer ingredients and clearer labeling.

• Health best practices: Beyond bloodborne pathogen certifications, we can keep raising the bar to make sure shops are truly safe.

• Ethical boundaries: What if we collectively agreed to refuse hate symbols, gang markings, or anything designed to harm or intimidate?

• Educational standards: Right now, apprenticeships vary wildly. Standardizing the basics of design theory, anatomy, and hygiene could raise the bar for everyone.

Tattooing, like design, is about trust. Our clients put their bodies—and their stories—in our hands. The least we can do is treat that trust with consideration.