Sustainable UX Design: Crafting Experiences for a Greener Future

As I lay in bed, doom-scrolling, I encountered a series of familiar terms being used in an unfamiliar manner: "Sustainable UX Design" (also known as SUX). I knew what "UX Design" was (fun fact: I'm a UX designer) and what sustainability meant. But what did it mean in combination?

So, as any diligent researcher does, I begin delving into Sustainable UX Design.

What is Sustainable UX Design (SUX)?

I start by defining Sustainable UX Design. After a thorough internet search, I find the following definitions:

"Sustainable UX is the approach to design sustainable digital products by moving beyond user-centred design to an environmental and humanity-centred design approach." - Sustainable UX Network

"Sustainability in UX design refers to the practice of creating products with an emphasis on reducing environmental impact throughout the lifecycle of the product." - Emilyann Gachko, Designlab

"The goal of sustainability is to allow humans to exist on Earth for a long, long time. It involves ecological, social, and economic aspects." -Ari Krzyzek, Builtin

"Sustainable design creates long-term solutions and helps societies ensure the well-being of their people and harmony of the environment for generations." - Interaction Design Foundation

TLDR; Sustainable UX Design is about being eco-friendly and ethical. It seeks to reduce the environmental impact of digital and physical products. It also aims to protect people and the planet for future generations.

But why does this matter?

Consider a digital product. It has many parts. Users interact with your product. Data transfer uses energy. The hardware that stores your data uses materials. Displaying your product also uses energy. All this adds up, given that users spend an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes on digital devices daily.

It may seem insignificant per person, but 5.45 billion people use the internet (Statista, 2024) and the carbon footprint starts to add up, especially over time. Discover more about the internet's carbon footprint on the Climate Impact website.

Benefits of Sustainable UX Design

One of the challenges of being a UX designer is often convincing the business that initiatives such as Sustainable UX Design, align with business goals and are worth pursuing. The following are only some of the benefits of incorporating Sustainable UX Design practices in the business:

1. Positive Brand Image: Sustainable companies can stand out and attract eco-minded consumers. Sustainable UX design can enhance a brand's reputation and build customer loyalty.

2. Cost Savings: Efficient, low-energy products cut costs, including energy and server bills. Also, designing for longevity can save on development and maintenance costs.

3. Regulatory Compliance: As governments impose stricter environmental rules, companies with sustainable practices will be better able to avoid penalties and meet obligations.

4. Social Impact: Sustainable UX design helps reduce the industry's environmental impact on the planet. It supports the goal of environmental stewardship. Designers can be part of the solution to global environmental challenges.

Strategies for Implementing Sustainable UX Design

Now that the business is on board, what can we do as UX designers to implement Sustainable UX Design practices in our workplaces?

1. Cut Resource-Intensive Features: Autoplay videos and high-res images are features that can boost a website's or app's energy use. Complex animations can do the same. Designers should rank features by their value vs. environmental impact.

2. Encourage Digital Decluttering: Users accumulate digital clutter, like unused apps and files. This clutter increases data storage needs and energy use. UX designers can help users declutter their digital lives. They can do this by making it easier to delete or archive content.

3. Optimise User Journeys: Designers can streamline user journeys. Streamlining reduces interactions and page loads and will help users complete tasks faster. It improves the overall user experience and cuts session energy use.

4. Support Eco-Friendly Practices: Add features to support eco-friendly practices. For example, carbon offset options at checkout and reminders to save energy can encourage sustainable behaviour.

5. Design for Reusability: Reusable components and systems save time and resources. They also help sustainability by reducing the need for constant redesign.

Challenges and Future Directions

While Sustainable UX Design offers many benefits, it also presents challenges. It can be hard to balance sustainability, usability, and business goals. There may be trade-offs between environmental impact and user experience. We also need standard metrics and tools to measure the sustainability of digital products.

Sustainable UX Design will likely evolve with new technology and methods. Designers must stay updated on sustainability and adapt to new environmental standards.

Conclusion

Sustainable UX design is crucial to making digital products and should benefit users and the planet. Designers can help reduce the environmental impact and boost sustainability by adopting energy-efficient practices, content/flow optimisation, and ethical design. As demand for sustainable solutions grows, UX designers must help. We play a pivotal role in shaping a greener future.