How designers can influence product policy

If you’re a designer working in tech, chances are you’ve run into a moment where something didn’t sit quite right. Maybe it was a dark pattern that made it hard for users to opt out. Maybe it was a user group being left out of the process. Or maybe it was a feature that had the potential to cause harm, and no one seemed to be talking about it.

It’s easy in those moments to feel like you don’t have much influence. Policy decisions can feel distant, shaped by legal teams, compliance requirements, or business priorities. But here’s the truth: designers often have more influence than we realize. We’re usually the ones closest to the user experience, which means we’re often the first to spot risks and ethical concerns.

So how can designers actually shape product policy in a meaningful way? And how do we work alongside legal, compliance, and business leaders in a way that’s collaborative, not confrontational?

Here are a few ways to start.

1. Bring Up Issues Early, Along With Possible Solutions

Designers are usually involved long before a product ships. That gives us a powerful opportunity to shape direction early on. If you see a potential risk or red flag — maybe around consent, accessibility, or fairness — speak up. Don’t wait until the final review to voice concerns.

Even better, bring suggestions along with the concern. You don’t have to have the perfect answer, but proposing thoughtful options shows that you’re approaching the issue constructively. Legal and policy teams often appreciate when design teams offer ideas instead of just pointing out problems.

When you raise concerns early and show you’re thinking about how to solve them, it builds trust and opens up space for collaboration.

2. Treat Legal and Compliance Like Real Partners

It’s easy to think of legal or compliance as the group that tells you “no.” But when you loop them in early and often, they can become valuable partners in building more ethical products.

Try bringing legal folks into early reviews or sharing design mockups during development, not just at the end. Ask for their take on potential issues and show them how real users might interact with the product. Share user research when it’s relevant, especially when it highlights sensitive situations or edge cases.

These teams are often navigating risks that designers aren’t trained to spot, but we bring a unique lens too. When we work together, we can find better paths forward than either group would on their own.

3. Connect Ethics to Business Goals

Ethical design isn’t just about doing the right thing — it’s also about creating sustainable, trustworthy products. When you’re advocating for more thoughtful decisions, it helps to speak in terms that resonate with business leaders.

Want to build more transparent interfaces? Make the case that they build long-term trust and reduce support costs. Trying to eliminate manipulative patterns? Show how they can lead to user frustration and churn over time.

It also helps to work with product and policy leads to define clear design principles or guardrails. These shared guidelines can make ethical decision-making part of the process, not just something that happens when a red flag goes up.

4. Use Design Tools to Make Risk Visible

Sometimes risks don’t feel real until people can see them. That’s where design can make a big difference.

Use prototypes, user journeys, or experience maps to show how an issue might actually play out. Visualize what happens when someone misuses a feature or when a vulnerable user hits a confusing moment. These tools can shift how stakeholders understand a problem and help them see the real-world consequences more clearly.

5. Keep Showing Up for the Conversation

Influence isn’t something you gain overnight. It comes from being consistent and engaged over time.

Keep asking thoughtful questions. Stay curious about how policy decisions get made. Offer your perspective, even when it’s uncomfortable. When you approach the work with humility, collaboration, and a genuine concern for users, people notice.

And as your relationships deepen, so does your ability to shape how policy and design come together.

You don’t need to be a policy expert to make an impact.

As a designer, you have a powerful role to play in making sure the products we build are not just functional, but responsible. By partnering across disciplines, bringing the user perspective into tough conversations, and advocating for ethical approaches early and often, you can help shape outcomes that align with your values — and the values of the people you’re designing for.

That kind of influence might not show up on a wireframe, but it can shape the direction of a product in meaningful ways.