Supporting a People-First Approach to Digital Awareness using Dignity Cards
A case study conducted with the EDGE Digital Manufacturing
Case Study Authors
Ravi Gidoomal, EDGE Digital Manufacturing, Dr Karen Lancaster (University of Nottingham)
Context
A responsible employer strives to protect and uphold the dignity of everyone in the workplace. Yet without an approach which puts people first in the digitalisation process, people’s dignity can be at risk, bringing wider consequences for equality, wellbeing, and fundamental human rights.
However, opening up conversations about dignity is not always easy. It can be difficult to know where to start, and there is often concern that such discussions may become uncomfortable, confrontational, or too personal.
The Dignity at Work discussion cards provide organisations with a practical and engaging way to navigate these sensitive issues. Through the use of fictional scenarios, the cards prompt reflection on dignity, equality, wellbeing, and human rights, while emphasising the importance of balancing these values alongside technological innovation.
EDGE Digital Manufacturing specialises in digital readiness diagnostics, strategy, and roadmapping services. Its tools are used within the Made Smarter Adoption programme and have supported over 1,000 manufacturers in progressing their digital transformation journeys.
EDGE was invited to hold interactive workshops at the Nottinghamshire Digital Awareness Conference 2026. This conference was aimed at empowering local businesses with their digital transformation process, helping them to embrace digital tools and technologies, as well as strategies to implement digital technologies effectively and develop their businesses sustainably.
Objective
The interactive workshops explored the human side of digital transformation. EDGE discussed the ways in which they support businesses across the country to measure and improve their digital readiness using the British Standards’ PAS1040 framework and their recent research into people-first approaches to digital transformation and digital wellbeing. A key message was the importance of keeping people central to any digital transformation or AI adoption project.
To bring this to life, EDGE identified the Dignity at Work discussion cards as a potential tool to showcase people-first approaches to strategy and digital development. EDGE therefore invited Dr Karen Lancaster to help facilitate the interactive workshop where businesses would get a chance to use the Dignity Cards and think about how digital transformation can affect stakeholders and employees.
Approach
The cards were developed by Dr Karen Lancaster at the University of Nottingham, and have been tested by focus groups and in other similar workshops prior to the Nottinghamshire Digital Awareness Conference 2026.
The pack consists of 36 Scenario cards, each detailing a dignity-based dilemma, where an employer has introduced a digital / AI technology, but an employee is concerned about a dignity-related matter. For example, a facial recognition system which doesn’t recognise darker skin-tones very well; an AI monitoring system which monitors people’s conversations and activities, but employees feel they are being spied upon; an AI system which has replaced teams, leaving the remaining workers feeling threatened and alone. There are also 20 cards with discussion prompts such as “Suggest one way in which the technology could be used without compromising anyone’s dignity.”
The cards are intended for use in small groups, to foster collaborative discussion and to prepare a business — and its employees — for the potential challenges of implementing digital / AI technologies, and to ensure that digitalisation can proceed without undermining dignity.
Insights
Around 60 delegates (2 sessions each of ~30 delegates) attended the interactive session run by EDGE and the People-Led Digitalisation team. Participants discussed 2-3 scenarios in small groups of 2-4 people, facilitated using 2-3 dignity cards selected at random. The discussions enabled participants to explore dignity-related issues evoked by the introduction of AI technologies into the manufacturing workplace and considered wider issues and practical applications of each scenario within their own business. Participants then shared their feedback and observations with the wider group.
Participants were asked to complete a brief feedback survey after the workshop, and results from this shows that 100% of participants found the Dignity Cards “easy” or “very easy” to use, and found using the cards to be “enjoyable” or “very enjoyable”. Over 90% of respondents felt that the issues contained within the cards to be “important/useful” or “very important/useful”, and stimulated discussion.
Some qualitative comments gathered from the survey about the tool include:
· “Relatable scenarios made the discussion so much easier.”
· “Positive impact on decisions within the workforce when implementing change.”
· “[The cards] encouraged personal reflection from two different accounts.”
Impact
“I enjoyed working with Karen to deliver these workshops. The discussion provided a chance to reflect on how we can introduce new technologies well and not lose sight of how they impact our people. Amidst plenty of discussion about emerging AI technologies and fear of missing out, this was a welcome pause. The energy in the room reflected the importance of the issues being discussed.”
Ravi Gidoomal, EDGE Digital Manufacturing
For further information on this case study please contact the P-LD at P-LD@bath.ac.uk
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the Innovate UK led Made Smarter Innovation Programme: People-Led Digitalisation Engagement and Impact Acceleration [Grant Reference UKRI1436] Centre for People-Led Digitalisation, at the University of Bath, University of Nottingham, and Loughborough University.