The role of UX designers in building a greener digital world

While we might think our activities in the digital realm are clean and harmless, the reality is quite different. We’re destroying our environment to create and store trillions of blurred images, half-baked videos, rip-off AI animations, videos and images, never-to-be-watched-again presentations, never-to-be-read-again reports, files and drawings from cancelled projects, drafts of drafts of drafts, out of date, inaccurate and wrong information, and gigabytes and gigabytes of poorly written, meandering content.

The dark side: growing carbon footprint of digital technologies

In today’s consumption-driven world, the environmental impact of our digital habits is becoming increasingly evident. According to research conducted by the World Economic Forum, digital technologies could cut global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 20% by 2050.

Interwoven into numerous aspects of our lives, digital technology is a limitless tool for progress, providing us with countless possibilities: communicating, knowledge transfer, understanding scientific phenomena, buying, producing, facilitating all kinds of money flows and services, entertainment and virtual workspaces etc.

Visualizing the negative impact of digitalization can be challenging (even for those of us who work with digital products) due to tangibility issues. The environmental footprint of these digital solutions is seldom discussed. Our efforts with digital products are primarily focused on delivering business value by enhancing user experience, while prioritizing the impact of the same on our environment is an important conversation that needs to be talked about.

How this relates to UX design

Design influences human behaviors and can change how we live, which is equally valid in the digital realm. It’s estimated that over 80% of a digital product’s emissions are determined during the design and engineering phases. Therefore, it’s crucial for designers to consider the environmental impact of their work from the start. By incorporating sustainability considerations early in the design process, we can significantly minimize the negative impact of our digital products.

Sustainability in design

Digital is physical, and for digital products to function, we need physical objects like servers/data centers, transmission wires, or devices, to name a few. All these objects need access to electricity sources, which consume a lot of energy. According to the HTTP Archive, loading an average webpage generates around 3 grams of CO2. With millions of users, this quickly adds up.

Sustainability extends beyond reducing CO2 emissions. While cutting down on CO2 is essential, sustainable UX design also encompasses broader goals such as equity, accessibility, and responsible consumption, as outlined by the United Nations. Designing with these principles ensures that our products are environmentally friendly and socially responsible.

It’s estimated that over 80% of a digital product’s emissions are determined during the design and engineering phases. Therefore, it’s crucial for designers to consider the environmental impact of their work from the start. By incorporating sustainability considerations early in the design process, we can significantly minimize the negative impact of our digital products.

You might now wonder: What actions can we take to make the digital industry more sustainable? Below, you’ll find an action plan with easy-to-follow and implement tips. Designers can contribute to sustainability in three areas:

In Design – How to make the products that we design more sustainable?

Through Design – How can the products we design positively influence more user decisions and awareness with the benefits of sustainable product design?

In Daily Work – How can we work more sustainably?

Let’s dive deep into each of them.

So what can designers do?

Optimize Fonts and Colors:

• Use WOFF fonts instead of TTF
• Prefer dark colors on OLED screens to save energy
• Minimize font variety and weight to reduce loading times and energy use

Streamline Images and Videos (accounts for about 60% of the CO2 emissions from digital products):

• Use lower-resolution images
• Avoid auto play features
• Choose efficient formats like MPEG4 and WEB3 and efficient plug-ins (avoid YouTube and Google Maps plugins)

Content and Information Architecture:

• Ensure that only necessary content is stored online
• Delete outdated or unused data to reduce storage needs
• Consider the lifecycle of content and set expiration dates for data that is no longer relevant or valuable
• Streamline user journeys to reduce the time users spend completing tasks
• Focus on clear information architecture to make relevant content easy for users to find

Green Hosting:

• Choose web hosts powered by renewable energy
• Opt for servers located closer to your user base to minimize data transfer emissions

User Education: 

• Enable users to switch off unnecessary images and videos
• Provide clear information on the environmental impact of their actions
• Encourage users to adopt more sustainable behaviors

Sustainable Defaults: 

• Set eco-friendly options (e.g., low-res video, green delivery) as default   
• Guide users toward sustainable behavior through smart design choice

Beyond the product itself, designers can also bring sustainability into their daily workflows and team practices:

Declutter Digital Workspaces: 

• Regularly delete unnecessary files
• Reuse design components to avoid duplication
• Maintain a clean and organized digital workspace

Mindful Communication: 

• Reduce redundant emails and messages
• Use video calls judiciously to conserve energy
• Encourage concise and purposeful communication

Efficient Resource Use: 

• Use energy-efficient digital tools and platforms
• Prefer collaboration tools with a smaller environmental footprint
• Promote the use of optimized platforms within the team

To Summarize

Digitalization is on such a vast scale that now is the time to consider the impact of digital products on sustainability. It’s always better to be late than sorry. Implementing a sustainable approach in the design phase is more effective than repairing solutions when they are well established. It might incur some costs but should be treated as a long-term investment. Try to start small by introducing one aspect of a more sustainable approach at a time. Small changes daily can generate a huge change and impact. By integrating sustainability UX design, we can create products that are innovative, user-friendly, and kind to our planet. The journey to greener design practices starts with awareness and commitment—let’s lead the way to a more sustainable digital future.