What is Sustainable UX?
When we talk about the value of UX/UI design, most people think of smoother processes, more beautiful interfaces, or higher conversion rates. But in reality, design can contribute much more—it can help users make more environmentally conscious decisions, thereby creating a positive impact on the world.
Sustainable UX refers to shifting from the traditional "User-centered" design to an "Environmental and humanity centered" approach within the design process and product experience. It proactively considers environmental impact and helps users or businesses make more eco-friendly choices.
It's not just about designing pretty "green" interfaces. It's about promoting sustainable behaviors within the user flow, making the practice of sustainability easier, more intuitive, and even seamless for the user.
Traditional UX design often emphasizes:
- Improving user experience
- Increasing conversion rates, click-through rates
- Fulfilling business needs
However, in this process, we often overlook:
- The product may increase carbon emissions
- It can reinforce social inequalities
- User health or well-being might be sacrificed for commercial interests
- The product's impact on the non-human environment (animals, ecosystems) is ignored
The mindset of Sustainable UX is: Design should serve not only the user but the entire ecosystem and society.
Method 1: Design More Energy-Efficient Products
Energy saving isn't just a concern for systems or backend engineering; designers share this responsibility too.
You can minimize unnecessary images, videos, animations, and data storage in your designs. This reduces battery drain on user devices and server load. A "less is more" design approach can collectively lead to a significant reduction in resource waste.
Furthermore, in the age of prevalent OLED screens, offering a dark mode isn't just a trend or a way to reduce eye strain—it also saves power.
For example: The dark modes of X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube have been proven to reduce smartphone screen power consumption by 10–40%.
Method 2: Offer Greener Choices Within the User Flow
Guiding users toward sustainable choices often works not because it's cheaper or faster, but because the designer has made it the more convenient option.
- In an e-commerce app, set the default shipping method to consolidated delivery or slower shipping, adding a note like "Reduces carbon emissions" to encourage eco-friendly choices.
- In a finance app, place investment products (stocks, funds) with higher ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) scores in more prominent positions, encouraging users to support companies with sustainable practices.
- In a travel app, highlight the benefits of walking/public transport routes, e.g., "Reduces carbon emissions, avoids traffic."
The key is to use defaults or encouraging language at every user decision point to gently guide them toward more sustainable choices, without being forceful.
Method 3: Behavioral Nudges
A Nudge is a small technique from behavioral economics that influences decisions through subtle changes.
- On a checkout page, add a line: "Choosing slower shipping can reduce XX kg of carbon emissions annually."
- When a user considers investing in a high-carbon industry, show a prompt: "This product's carbon footprint is above average. Continue anyway?"
- Use small badges or celebratory animations to enhance user engagement and make them feel good about choosing sustainably.
Crucially, the nudge should make users feel accomplished, not guilty, about their sustainable choice.
Method 4: Transparent Carbon Footprint and ESG Information
Incorporate clear, transparent sustainability information into your products.
- Show the total carbon emissions of all items in the shopping cart, even suggesting how to reduce it.
- In an investment app, display the total carbon footprint or ESG score of a portfolio, making sustainability a key metric for users.
- Use simple charts or color codes to reduce cognitive load, helping users understand the information without reading lengthy reports.
The core goal is to make sustainability data understandable and easy-to-read, helping users integrate environmental considerations into their daily decisions.
Method 5: Design More Holistically Sustainable Products
The word "sustainability" often brings "environmental protection" to mind. However, sustainability has many facets, such as social justice, user health, protecting all life, and a circular economy, all of which we must consider in our designs.
- Avoid digital products that exacerbate gender discrimination, ageism, or social injustice. Consider the needs of the elderly and minority groups during design.
- Avoid designing addictive features (like infinite scroll) purely for commercial gain, or encouraging users to "buy more." Instead, genuinely consider the user's long-term health and well-being.
Conclusion
Sustainable UX isn't an extra task. It's an approach where, in every design process and step, we consider not just user needs, but also the sustainability layer.
When we use design to make eco-friendly decisions more convenient, intuitive, and encouraged, we can subtly shift public habits. This allows products to do a little more good for the world, while also enhancing corporate image.
The power of a designer may not lie in changing the world all at once, but in tweaking it one detail at a time, making the better choice easier to see.
