I guess there's also an underlying belief that objectively documenting something is possible, desirable, and morally justifiable

there's like a weird refusal to contextualize anything. as if context itself is a subjective concept.

Here's a quick snippet showing the gradient loop at higher res, from my recent episode with Troy

youtu.be/PjHWcZm4Z2U

It's the fault of a lot of educational programs and some consultancies that design is misunderstood as a magic substance. The dominant lore contributes to designers being less well prepared to engage in these environments and see the true limits of their scope of decision-making and influence.