Aspen Digital

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, trust in technology and tech companies is on the decline. Concerns over data privacy, algorithmic manipulation, misinformation, and a lack of transparency have fueled public skepticism. Without meaningful efforts to rebuild trust, companies risk alienating customers, stifling innovation, and diminishing the long-term value of their products. One company, Sarell, sees a better way.

Product Equity is an emerging discipline that emphasizes designing and developing products that ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes for all people, regardless of their backgrounds, identities, or lived experiences. Best practices in this discipline include community co-design, participatory research, fairness testing, responsible data collection, and other inclusive methodologies. However, at the heart of Product Equity—and product development more broadly—lies a fundamental requirement: trust. 

More than just a theoretical ideal, trust forms the foundation that connects product developers and designers to the communities using their products. Without it, even well-intentioned innovations can fail to meet user needs or, worse, contribute to unintended harm. Recognizing the critical role of trust in tech, our partners at Sarell are dedicated to exploring its intersection with well-being and technology, and the Working Group aims to amplify their efforts.

Rooted in humanity, inspiration, and curiosity, Sarell is an company focused on elevating collective well-being and trust in technology. They believe the two are deeply connected—when well-being is prioritized as a key contributor to the success of any product or industry, trust among users is not only nurtured but has the potential to grow.

Well-Being & Trust in Tech: Insights from Sarell

Sarell recently conducted a series of community-based convenings with participants from around the world to explore how trust-building methodologies can shape technology, particularly within social media platforms. Sarell’s Convening Report highlights a pressing issue: “trust in tech is eroding and is exacerbated by insufficient transparency and feedback mechanisms that fail to capture and address customer’s concerns related to their well-being. Without disrupting this cycle, mistrust grows and weakens the relationship between tech companies and their customers, ultimately slowing innovation, reducing customer loyalty, and decreasing product value and profit. In short, technological acceleration and entrenchment in our society makes many of us feel both trapped—and excited.” (Sarell Convening Report, Page 6)

Additionally, Sarell also noted that, while social media has faced scrutiny for its negative impacts, it also has the potential to foster community, education, empathy, and skill-building. When designed with the well-being of user communities in mind, developers can ensure the benefits of their platforms are more consistently used to strengthen relationships, amplify narratives, and, in turn, contribute to collective wellness.

The Challenge: Why Trust in Tech Is Declining

Through their research and convenings, Sarell identified the primary drivers of eroding trust: insufficient transparency, a lack of an active response to feedback, and the growing disconnect between product teams and the well-being of their customers. By and large, tech professionals are insulated from the everyday experiences of the communities their products impact, leading to gaps in product design and decision-making.

However, trust remains an elusive concept—its meaning shifts depending on the context, the individuals involved, and their expectations. As trust continues to diminish, transparency and user-centered innovation are in higher demand than ever.

Especially in the context of social media, people are increasingly skeptical of data privacy policy, content moderation practices, and platform intentions.

The Solution: Sarell’s Framework for Rebuilding Trust in Technology

Sarell believes building (or restoring) trust in product development requires a multi-faceted approach that centers on individual and collective well-being. In their convenings, Sarell proposes a framework to address the aforementioned concerns. Conveners provided solicited reactions and feedback to help tune and build a framework that would nurture and build trust in technology through meaningful engagement among users. 

The Promise and Challenges of Social Platforms

Social media offers undeniable benefits, but it also presents significant challenges. Understanding both is crucial to designing platforms that enhance rather than erode trust.

Opportunities

• Strengthening social connections: Platforms enable people to build and maintain relationships, fostering a sense of belonging and community. 
• Encouraging empathy and authentic self-expression: Digital spaces provide opportunities for people to share their experiences, perspectives, increasing understanding across diverse communities. 
• Expanding access to knowledge and education: Social media facilitates learning through free resources, expert insights, and collaborative knowledge-sharing. 
• Empowering users with digital literacy tools: Platforms can equip people with the skills and resources needed to navigate the digital world safely and effectively.

Challenges

• Psychological and social harms: Issues such as mental health, social comparison, and exposure to harmful content can negatively impact people.
• Misinformation and manipulation: False narratives, echo chambers, and opaque content-ranking mechanisms can distort people’s understanding of reality.
• Structural concerns: Profit-driven models, regulatory gaps, and misaligned incentives often prioritize engagement over user well-being, leading to ethical dilemmas.

Addressing Challenges and Building Trust in Social Platforms

To mitigate these challenges, Sarell’s conveners identified actionable strategies for building and restoring trust and user well-being in digital spaces:

Strengthening Digital Literacy and Information Integrity

• Implement digital literacy programs tailored to different user demographics. 
• Provide access to fact-checking tools and credible sources. 
• Increase transparency around algorithmic incentives and content ranking.

Collaborative Design

• Involve trauma-informed, human rights-focused, and design justice methodologies.
• Co-design platforms and products with representative communities to ensure diverse perspectives.
• Implement robust identity verification measures to enhance safety.

Structural Reform

• Advocate for regulation and policies that hold tech companies accountable for user well-being.
• Mandate separation between government influence and for-profit tech companies.
• Reimagine engagement-driven business models to prioritize well being, human connection, and public interest.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

As one of their core principles, Sarell aims to expand the currency of success of any product to include trust since it is a foundational factor upon which all other endeavors (e.g. collaborative design, responsible data collection and use, etc.) can be positioned to succeed.

Their convenings illuminate both the urgent need for trust-building in tech and highlight the importance of Product Equity principles in product design and development. By embedding listening, transparency, co-design, and informed delivery into product development, tech companies can rebuild trust, enhance user well-being, and create platforms that truly serve a broad range of communities around the world long term.

As the Product Equity Working Group moves forward with advancing a product equity approach to innovation, we must ensure that trust is always at the core of our efforts.

Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to Sarell for their leadership in advancing research on trust and well-being in technology. Special thanks to Tammarrian Rogers, founder of Sarell and a member of the Product Equity Working Group, for her continued advocacy for elevating well-being and trust in tech.