When you think of industries that could be more sustainable, digital design probably isn’t in your top of mind. However, the carbon footprint of internet use, smartphones, computers, and other supporting technologies account for more than 3% of global house emissions (Source: Adobe, 2021). And with the web expanding and moving towards a more immersive experience, with more access to the internet from more devices, this number is only expected to grow.
So, how can design be more sustainable? On a practical level, it is important to be aware that a significant portion of internet usage happens at the front-end stage of design. There needs to be awareness and information of the impact that this has. Along with efficiency and usability, sustainability should also be used as a key strategy when designing products and services. However, sustainability does not just mean to make products that are energy efficient. It’s also about making products more inclusive and more accessible. Sustainability can also be about finding ways to make products that are operable, understandable, perceivable, and robust. Designers should also consider the life cycle of the products and services they are developing; ask questions about the big picture of the product or service. In the case of digital design, for example, question where the power sources are coming from, if the product is built to last, and what will happen at the end of its life cycle.
When deciding on the typefaces and general layout of a website or mobile application, designers could stick with two types of fonts, reduce typefaces, and favour other design choices that allow for the page to load faster and use less energy. Using smaller size images can also reduce data size; this makes the website load faster and thus provides a positive user interaction. This should be accompanied by a thorough analysis on websites and applications to understand the amount of data required for the user to navigate the interface. How many clicks or taps does it take to get to the main information for users? Is the platform intuitive? Are there any unnecessary ends that translate to more data usage?
Design can also influence its users to be more sustainable as well. Products and services can offer alternatives and choices that users can select to promote sustainability. For example, sustainable shipping or highlighting ethical products on websites. Consumers and users are becoming more conscious about where their products and services come from and the environmental impact they might have. Understanding this and employing more sustainable practices in design is a win/win. This, however, can only be fully understood with a good UX Research. The main focus always is about understanding what your audience wants and tailoring products and services towards this, in a way that aligns that with their values and needs.
There are certain approaches that can be used to reinforce sustainable choices amongst users. A nudge and the Hooked Model offer insight into how behaviour works and how to use this to promote more sustainable choices in the user interaction.
Nudge
A nudge is a way in which a choice can be affected in a predictable way but without restricting other options or choices. In the context of design, nudging users can be done by making some choices or buttons more visible than others to increase the probability of users selecting these options rather than the less noticeable ones. For instance, websites and applications could have options to navigate on a low data usage and have the button to agree in a green colour whereas the other one will be in a less visible colour. Both buttons are there, however one of them is more noticeable thus increasing the chances of it being selected.
Hooked Model
This is a four step process that builds habits when utilising products. It can therefore be used to facilitate building sustainable habits. The process is made up of four stages: trigger, action, variable reward, and investment. The trigger is any need that the user has. The user’s urge to satisfy or act upon this need then moves over to the action stage. In design, this is where the designer cna increase the probability of the user opting for more sustainable choices. Satisfying or acting upon this need brings a reward; in design this could come in the shape of likes, levelling up, or praises. The key element here is that the reward should be predictable and cause the user to continue to want it. The final stage is investment. Once the need is satisfied and the user has received a reward, then it creates a sense of investment in the app or website that will keep the user coming back and repeating the same behaviours.
Design plays a very important role in the journey towards sustainability. Through research and understanding the audience’s needs and values, it can improve and reinforce sustainable choices. However, UX/UI Design must also be sustainable itself and have awareness of the energy impact of the products that are being created as well as the alternatives and measures that can be taken to decrease this impact. There is no point in nudging people to select sustainable shipping options when the interface in which they are opting for this is using high levels of data or is on an application that will most likely have a short life cycle.
Savant is informed by market research and has a specialised Digital Design team with extensive experience and expertise in UX/UI talent solutions. If you are looking to build or expand your Design function, we can support you with the best talent in the industry with experts and market leading onboarding advice and consultation. To find out more about how we can assist you, please reach out to us at technology@savantrecruitment.com
