When brands forget that people matter: lessons from the Docker controversy

I came across a story recently about Docker, the Australian Football League team, and a social media post that got under people’s skin. On the surface, it seemed like just another sports controversy—the kind that pops up on timelines and disappears in 48 hours. But it stuck with me for a different reason. As someone who spends her days thinking about how design and communication affect real humans, I found myself asking: when did we decide that getting a laugh was more important than showing basic respect?

The gap between clever and kind

There’s this unspoken competition in modern communication—especially on social media—to be the most sharp-witted, the quickest with a zinger, the one who says what everyone’s thinking but shouldn’t say out loud. Brands and teams get caught up in it too. They’re trying to seem relatable, to break down that corporate wall and prove they’re “real people” behind the account.

But here’s what I’ve learned from watching how people actually respond to communication: there’s a massive difference between being funny and being funny at someone else’s expense. One brings people together. The other creates distance, even if people are laughing at the moment.

When Docker posted their taunt, they probably thought they were being clever. Edgy, maybe. The kind of thing that would get retweets and comments. And it did. Just not in the way they hoped.

The real issue isn’t about whether the post was offensive or not—that’s such a binary way of thinking about it. The issue is that it revealed something about their choices. They had a moment to decide: do we punch up with humour that brings our community together, or do we punch down and assume people will find it entertaining? They chose the latter. And when you choose that path, you’re essentially betting that being edgy matters more than being decent.

Why respect still matters (even if it seems old-fashioned)

I design products and experiences for real humans. And one thing I’ve learned is that people can feel when an organization actually cares about them versus when they’re just trying to extract engagement or a reaction. It’s not something you can fake in a design—trust has a real texture to it.

The same applies to how brands communicate. When you build an audience, you’re building a relationship. That relationship has to be based on something. You can base it on entertainment alone, sure. But the strongest relationships—the ones that last—are built on respect.

Sports have this unique power to bring communities together. Fans show up, week after week. They invest emotionally. They wear the colors. They bring their kids. There’s something beautiful about that loyalty, even if it’s just a game. When a team or brand chooses to mock or belittle rather than celebrate that connection, they’re squandering something genuine.

Respect doesn’t have to mean boring. You can be witty and respectful at the same time. You can have personality without relying on putting people down. It just takes a bit more thought.

What this means for how we communicate

This Docker situation is a small thing in the grand scheme of everything happening in the world. But small things matter. They add up. They create a culture where the default setting becomes “how can we be clever at someone’s expense” instead of “how can we be clever while lifting people up.”

As someone who thinks deeply about user experience and human-centered design, I’d argue this applies everywhere. Whether you’re designing a product, writing a social media post, or making a business decision, you’re making a choice about what kind of interaction you want to create with your audience.

Do you want them to feel respected? Included? Celebrated? Or do you want them to feel like the punchline?

The good news is that this isn’t complicated. It just requires pausing for a moment before you hit send and asking: would I feel good about this if I were on the receiving end? Would this build trust or erode it?

Docker missed that moment. But it’s not too late for the rest of us to get it right.

Source: Docker’s tasteless taunt reveals a decency deficiency in the modern game