Pixels or Planet?
A designer’s dilemma
“Climate change”, “Sustainability”, “Carbon emissions”, “Greenhouse gases”: every time I would come across these terms, my mind would inadvertently picture a running tap, trees getting cut, factories releasing toxins, excessive plastic consumption, and so on.
The thought of my digital habits having any impact on the environment would almost never occur to me. Why?
If I were to draw parallels between the above-mentioned scenarios, one common thread among all is that the impact of these occurrences is apparent and visible. A running tap implies water wastage, cutting trees leads to a decrease in forest cover, smoke and toxins from factories affect air quality, and plastic consumption generates tonnes of waste.
We pay more heed to what we see. And since we cannot see our digital habits having any measurable impact on the environment, we tend to become oblivious to the fact that they are equal (and sometimes, bigger) contributors to climate change.
Every click, every swipe on our phones, every scroll on social media, every megabyte of internet used, leads to carbon emissions. In fact, I may have already released a couple hundred grams of CO2 as I write this article. (ironic, isn’t it?)
The world has transitioned into a digital ecosystem, where every action is driven by some level of technological intervention — Want to communicate with your loved ones? Call them. Want to order groceries? Order online. Want to make payments? Scan the QR.
This seamless integration of technology into our daily lives has made us turn a blind eye to the fact that our increasing digital consumption generates volumes of data, which in turn produces lots (truly, lots) of carbon emissions; a phenomenon termed as digital carbon footprint.
Let’s talk numbers
According to statistics, the internet produces 1.6 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gases annually. This number is so high, that if the internet was a country, it would be the 4th largest polluter in the world.
Now, imagine the amount of gases that are emitted when billions of people around the world browse through billions of pages on the internet.
Nearly 2,52,000 websites are created daily, and around 10,500 websites are created every hour. Smartphones, computers, data servers, data centers; all contribute to about 3.7% of global greenhouse emissions, which is at par with the emissions caused by the aviation industry. And this number is expected to double in the next few years.
Sounds scary, doesn’t it?
Does design play a role in this?
Absolutely.
Get Manaar Jafri’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
While design may not be the sole factor in determining the carbon footprint of a digital product, it does play a significant role — decisions made in the design phase can help regulate its environmental impact.
As I delved deeper into uncovering design decisions that promote sustainability, I came across several practises which can help reduce carbon emissions. While some seemed achievable, others left me grappling with bigger questions—
Prioritising Minimalism
Minimalism plays a crucial role in sustainability. The more elements on a page, the longer it takes to load, the more data it consumes, the more emissions it releases. A clean, minimal user interface contributes to a lower carbon footprint. However, it makes me ponder — how do we selectively display information in data-heavy apps or web pages?
Choosing Colours Wisely
The colours we choose for our designs greatly influence energy consumption. Research shows that darker colours are more energy-efficient, ultimately leading to lower emissions. But here’s the challenge — how do we incorporate a darker palette without sacrificing brand identity?
Optimising Files for Efficiency
File optimisation is where the technical intricacies come into play. Using efficient file formats and compression techniques can significantly reduce carbon emissions. Converting images to WEBP format can decrease their file size by about 30% compared to JPG. But, are we ready to compromise on the quality for a smaller file size?
A designer’s dilemma
While these practises can help regulate digital carbon footprint, implementing them isn’t as linear as it sounds.
Businesses today want feature-rich experiences that engage users, all while ensuring that they stay ahead of competition. Thus, every app or web release leads to addition of newer features, stronger visuals, and more data.
And they aren’t in the wrong for doing that. For any digital product to succeed in today’s increasingly competitive world, it is vital that it meets customer needs and stands out amongst the hoard of digital platforms.
And this is bound to put us designers in a constant state of dilemma. How does one get to decide whether to focus on creating eco-conscious and streamlined designs, or to adhere to business requirements?
It is not an easy choice to make, and more often than not, there isn’t a choice at all; because as the complexity of an app or a web page increases, the scope for an eco-conscious design approach can feel like it nearly vanishes.
It leaves me with a lingering question —
How do we begin to shift the narrative towards eco-conscious design practises, without compromising on user experience?
