As we plan and design software systems, we are not merely creating tools – we are crafting the very fabric of our digital society. The choices we make in requirements engineering and software design have ripple effects that influence not only how people interact, work, learn, and live in the digital age but also our worldviews, self-images, and the normality we live in.

Software engineers and designers bear a special responsibility. There is a strong call to get requirements engineering and software design right – to do it ethically. This requires a value orientation to be integrated into the development process from day one, even under the difficult conditions of everyday life. Legislators around the world are also realizing that this is crucial. This keynote will show how legal and ethical obligations can be successfully combined with innovative and successful engineering.

By understanding the profound impact of software design on our digital society, we can harness its power to create a more just, efficient, and innovative future. This keynote will inspire software designers and requirements engineers to embrace their role as digital architects and to approach their work with a keen awareness of its potential to shape the digital world we live in.

Dr. Markus Oermann, M.A. is Professor of Digital Ethics and Media Law at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (THWS). Previously, he worked as policy advisor for fundamental social issues and transformations at the Office of the Federal President of Germany. His professional career also includes positions as a consultant at the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and as a senior researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute. Markus Oermann studied law, political science and philosophy at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. He completed his second state examination in law in Hamburg and completed his doctorate at the University of Hamburg with a thesis on the constitutional proction of internet access.