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Take your UX to the next level. Green UX.

8 min read · Mar 10

Highlights

Highlights

With all the digital products out there, it’s pretty obvious that we’re producing a lot of CO². Did you know that a single website page takes up an average of 1.67 grams of CO²?


You read that right! Think about how many billions of web pages and other digital products are out there. A lot CO² is being produced, every second by website, email and app clicks.

Topics

#designforhumans

#sustainability

#futureproof

#product

#UX

#responsabledesign


Introduction

Introduction

What does it mean to be sustainable? Hopefully it will be a question we ask ourselves every day as we will design websites, apps and other digital experiences. Are we all aware of the environmental impacts that our work can have — from greenhouse gas emissions to water use to waste management? How do we mitigate those impacts? How do we make sure that the products we create are not only useful but good for the world?

Sustainability is a hot topic in today’s world. From the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to the Paris Agreement, we are faced with an incredible amount of challenges.


You can’t be sustainable if you don’t know what sustainability is.


You know how you love to scroll through your favorite Instagram feed, and then that one picture that turns out to be an old, grainy photo of a friend’s baby? It’s just so… disappointing.


But what if you could take the power out of that hand grenade? What if you could make sure that when you see a picture, it’s good enough to show off but not too good — that every picture is shown at the right size and in the right light?


I’m here to help you minimise the negative impact of UX. You can reduce your CO² and energy impact, by using less images, less videos, no auto-play videos, less interactions and less other data-heavy components. Do we really have to have hundreds of images? Can’t we integrate lazy loading so pictures only load when the user scrolls down? Do we really need to send constant push notifications? Is there no option for focus modes and offline times?


This is where we come in: we’ve got an answer for all those little things that can make or break your app experience — everything from copywriting tips to font choices to how many icons are too many icons.


That’s why I took a step into this direction, to help you understand the concept of sustainable UX — and how to use your power for good.


As designers have an incredible amount of power for more ecological and social sustainability.


While ecological sustainability is certainly an important aspect, sustainability also includes social and economic considerations.

Ecological sustainability

Ecological sustainability

The area deals with maintaining a healthy and balanced ecosystem, reducing waste and pollution, and protecting natural resources. It involves designing products, services, and systems that have a minimal negative impact on the environment, and actively seeking ways to reduce environmental harm.


I think it starts with a clean design. If your website, for example, is cluttered with unnecessary information, it’ll be hard for people to find what they’re looking for. That’s why I recommend zeroing in on only what you need and making sure it’s easy for your customers to navigate — no matter how long they spend on your site.


You should also consider using green delivery options like samples or small packages. These can help you cut down on transportation costs, so you can keep prices low while still offering an environmentally responsible service to your customers. And don’t forget about packaging-free variants! We’ve seen companies who offer one of these options over the other because they want their customers’ needs met without having them take up precious space in landfills with unnecessary packaging materials used in their original packaging design (this is actually true).


And if you want something even more sustainable than all of those things combined? Look into CO2 displays in web shops! This will help reduce pollution levels in cities where people shop online by providing information about where products are produced.

Social sustainability

Social sustainability

Creating a society that is equitable, inclusive, and just is so importnant. It includes considerations of human rights, social justice, and equality, and seeks to ensure that all members of society have access to resources and opportunities.


Overall, sustainability requires us to consider the long-term impacts of our decisions and actions, and to work towards solutions that are equitable, environmentally responsible, and economically viable. By taking a holistic approach to sustainability, we can create a better future for ourselves and for future generations.


Mental health is a major issue in our society today. We as designers need to stop creating an insecure, over-consuming, stressed-out and skeptical world. Just think about having a hard day, being stressed from current world crises, having a newborn baby that is crying and you haven’t slept in days. Being sick and needing medication. Your eyes are swollen and your nose is just running. And then this website or application triggers you with hundreds of pop-ups, animations, manipulative patterns, shameful cancellation screens and false scarcities. Your heart is racing. You feel it? Great! So don’t use those methods in your products and designs.


Equity: In a world where we’re all connected, it’s important to make sure that your UX is based on gender, ethnicity, educational, cultural and other equality. This means integrating different kinds of gender (also non-binary), acknowledging indigenous, addressing needs, wishes and frustrations of all people. That counts especially for forms, email salutations and gender equal copy writing.


Sustainable UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) design refer to the practice of designing digital products and services with a focus on sustainability, in addition to the traditional considerations of usability, functionality, and aesthetics.


Sustainable UX/UI design considers the environmental impact of digital products and services, such as energy consumption, carbon emissions, and resource consumption. It also takes into account the social impact of digital products and services, such as accessibility, privacy, and inclusivity.

Sustainable UX/UI design practices

Sustainable UX/UI design practices

Energy efficiency. Designers can optimise the energy consumption of digital products by minimising the use of animations, videos, and other resource-intensive elements. This can include designing interfaces that are simpler, with fewer visual elements that require high levels of processing power.


Accessibility. Sustainable UX/UI design considers the needs of all users, including those with disabilities. This means designing interfaces that are accessible to users with visual, auditory, or motor impairments, and making sure that content is available in alternative formats.


Inclusivity. Sustainable UX/UI design also considers the social impact of digital products and services. Designers can promote inclusivity by creating interfaces that are easy to use for people with different cultural backgrounds and levels of digital literacy.


Sustainable materials. Designers can also consider the materials used in the production of digital products, such as the manufacturing process and the materials used in hardware. This can include designing products that are more durable, or that use recycled materials.

Sustainable UX Architecture

Sustainable UX Architecture

Sustainable Hosting. Sustainable UX architecture involves selecting environmentally friendly hosting options that minimise the carbon footprint of digital products. This includes choosing hosting providers that use renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power, or providers that have committed to carbon offsetting programs.


Minimising Data Transfer. Translates into minimising data transfer between servers and devices. This can be achieved by optimising the size of images and videos used in digital products, reducing the use of scripts and plugins, and minimising unnecessary data requests.


Efficient Code. Involves writing efficient code that minimises the use of server resources and reduces energy consumption. This includes using optimised code, removing unnecessary functions, and avoiding the use of heavy frameworks that consume a lot of processing power.


Sustainable Design. Designing interfaces that promote environmentally sustainable behaviour. This can include designing interfaces that encourage users to take eco-friendly actions, such as reducing energy consumption, recycling, or using public transportation.

Ecologically Sustainable UI Design

Ecologically Sustainable UI Design

These days, it’s hard to be an app designer and not think about your users’ experience.


The way you present your app on the user interface is important — it can have a huge impact on how people use your product. And while you might not be able to change the world with your UI, you can certainly improve it.


Ecologically Sustainable User Interface (ESUI) is the practice of creating a user interface that is designed with the environment in mind. ESUI is about designing for both humans and the environment by considering the choices we make about our products, services, and processes.


Design for Energy Efficiency. Designing interfaces that are optimised for energy efficiency. This can include using a simple colour palette and avoiding excessive use of animations or other visual elements that require high levels of processing power. When it comes to sustainable UI, you can’t forget about your images and videos. That’s why I’m here today to share with you some tips on how to make your site’s interface more ecologically sustainable. Sustainable UI also means optimising, scaling and compressing our images and videos. It’s about having consistent UI elements. It also addresses the amount and types of fonts you use (best option using preinstalled system fonts or compressing your fonts). And, last but not least, ecological UI additionally has a look on energy efficient colours which you can find more info on in the blog article on energy efficient color palettes.

Socially Sustainable UI

Socially Sustainable UI

Designing digital interfaces with a focus on promoting social responsibility and inclusivity involves considering the social impact of the digital product’s user interface, from accessibility to privacy and security.


Accessibility. Socially sustainable UI design involves designing interfaces that are accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. This includes designing interfaces that are easy to use for people with visual, auditory, or motor impairments, and making sure that content is available in alternative formats.



Inclusivity. Designing interfaces that are inclusive of all users, regardless of their background or level of digital literacy. Designers can promote inclusivity by creating interfaces that are easy to use for people with different cultural backgrounds and levels of digital literacy.


Privacy and Security. Considering the privacy and security of users. Designers can promote privacy and security by designing interfaces that protect user data, such as using encryption or secure login procedures.


Ethical Considerations. Promoting fair and responsible use of the digital product is key. Designers can promote ethical considerations by designing interfaces that discourage unethical behaviour or promote ethical behaviour, such as encouraging users to reduce their environmental impact.


…



We all know how important it is to have a healthy product that works well on all devices, platforms and browsers, but it’s not always easy to get there. It takes time, money and resources to make sure your product is sustainable.


If you feel like you want to get into discussions please fell free to reach me!

Topics

#designforhumans

#sustainability

#futureproof

#product

#UX

#responsabledesign


Did you know that a single website visit takes up an average of 1.67 grams of CO²?


Design for Energy Efficiency.

Use simple colour palette and avoiding excessive use of animations or other visual elements that require high levels of processing power.


This web page is cleaner than 79% of web pages tested.

Only 0.20g of CO2 is produced every time someone visits my web page.






 © 2023 by Alexandru Botezatu