Digital Sustainability Best Practices for Designers

What is Digital Sustainability?

Digital sustainability is about creating and maintaining digital products and services in a way that minimizes their environmental impact, fosters positive social outcomes, and supports long-term economic viability. It’s a holistic approach that considers the entire lifecycle of digital solutions.

Why Does it Matter for Designers?

As a designer, our choices shape the digital world. Prioritizing digital sustainability matters because it allows you to minimize the ecological footprint of your designs, contribute to social well-being, and align with ethical economic practices. By integrating sustainability into your design process, you not only create more responsible and resilient digital solutions but also play a crucial role in influencing positive change within the industry.

Digital Sustainability Checklist

• Renewable Energy: Have you considered or recommended the use of renewable energy sources for hosting or processing the product or service?
• Efficient User Journeys: Are user journeys designed to be as efficient as possible without compromising task completion?
• Behavioral Nudging: Does the design facilitate users to nudge towards sustainable behaviors?
• Environmental Impact Information: Does the design provide users with information highlighting the environmental impact of using the product or service?
• Power Saving Mode: Have you considered a power-saving mode for websites? This includes removing non-essential images and functionality, displaying core content on dark backgrounds.
• Non-Human Factors Consideration: Have you considered non-human factors in the design process?

• User-Centric Design: Does the design prioritize user needs, aiming to enhance the quality of users’ lives?
• User Engagement Strategy: Is there a strategy for engaging with the user community during the design process to incorporate their insights and preferences?
• Positive Contribution to Well-being: Does the design contribute positively to the well-being of the users or the community?
• Inclusive Design: Have you ensured that the design is inclusive, considering a diverse user base?
• Cultural Sensitivity: Is the content in the design culturally sensitive, avoiding assumptions that may alienate or exclude certain user groups?
• Accessibility: Is the design accessible, ensuring that it accommodates users with various abilities and addresses potential social inequalities?
• User Privacy: Does the design prioritize user privacy and adhere to data protection regulations?
• Ethical Considerations: Have you assessed and addressed any potential ethical concerns associated with the design, promoting transparency and accountability?
• Human Rights Assessment: Have you assessed and addressed any potential human rights issues associated with the development or use of the product or service?
• Avoidance of Manipulative Patterns: Are manipulative or dark patterns avoided in the design?
• Gender-Neutral Language: Have you used gender-neutral language to ensure inclusivity in your content?

• Scalability and Adaptability: Is the design scalable and adaptable to accommodate changes in user needs, technological advancements, and market dynamics?
• Long-Term Value Proposition: Does the design contribute to the creation of a product or service with a long-term value proposition, considering sustained success over rapid growth?

Checkout other resources for Sustainable Design:

Sustainability UI Checker: Figma Plugin

[PDF] The Sustainable UX Design Toolkit

Final words

As designers, our choices wield immense power in shaping the digital world. Prioritizing digital sustainability is paramount because it enables us to minimize the ecological footprint of our designs, contribute to social well-being, and align with ethical economic practices. By integrating sustainability into our design process, we not only craft more responsible and resilient digital solutions but also play a pivotal role in driving positive change within the industry.