I recently attended a two-day design conference and workshop in Bend, OR. The overarching theme of the event was “ethics in design and content.”

Sessions covered everything from ethical fashion design (Angela Luna shared the thinking behind her coat-to-tent apparel for refugees) to ethics after the mass-age (a talk by Chris Riley talking about the differences between fact and truth).

One of my personal favorites was Tanner Woodford’s presentation on “What’s Worth Preserving?”—a profound question if ever there was one. It’s also the subject of a book he’s creating that features 50 handwritten letters from celebrities, inmates, a primate researcher (yes! Jane Goodall), authors and artists.

Although I admit that, in the strictest sense, I don’t always expressly consider the ethical impact of my content choices, I do always strive to deliver accuracy and authenticity. Attending this conference expanded my view of ethics in content, and now I can’t help but think a bit more deeply on how my choices are impacting others. And, given that Opus is in the people and content business, it’s a natural that ethics play an important role in our content creation and delivery.

The format of the event was one day packed with 30-minute, back-to-back keynote presentations (in a single track) and one day of workshops. The workshops provided fantastic opportunities for networking and collaborating with peers across disciplines. Of course, there were also some thought-provoking quotes and nuggets worth preserving, including these two gems:

Share your thoughts: What sayings do you love? How are you approaching ethics in your organization?