Sustainability in Social Media Design

🌱 Sustainable UX Toolkits & Resources (https://lnkd.in/eT6ZR3qz), a large (!) repository of toolkits, Figma templates, books, case studies, articles on sustainable UX — throughout the entire product design process. Kindly put together by the SUX - The Sustainable UX Network, via Thorsten Jonas. Sustainable UX Database (Notion) https://lnkd.in/eyZjigBx As designers, we often are left wondering how to integrate sustainable practices into our design work. Most environmental impact happens on our user’s devices, so we can help our users by reducing waste. Typically, when we speak about sustainability, we mean at least 4 facets of it: 🌱 Reducing waste ← In publishing, heavy visuals, animation, PDFs, 🌻 Deleting content ← Un-publishing outdated, misleading content/flows, 🐝 Maximize reusability ← UI components, flows, processes, templates, 🌳 Sustainable defaults ← Help people make more sustainable choices. In practice, we could use simple but impactful design patterns: 1. Always prefer the lightest mode of communication. 2. Aim to reduce session duration instead of increasing it. 3. Encourage the reuse of existing templates and presets. 4. Auto-delete after 365 days what hasn’t been used once. 5. Discourage users from PDF exports in favor of URLs. 6. Always provide audio-only and transcript for videos. 7. Be intentional with default settings for your users. 8. Highlight key insights to create understanding faster. 9. Skip unnecessary pages: drive users to results faster. 10. Show filters/presets in autocomplete, not just keywords. 11. Nudge users to delete old files for 10% off that month. 12. Establish an archiving, deletion and clean-up policies. 13. Encourage and reward users for trying out dark mode. 14. Question font weights, stock photos, parallax, 4K-videos. 15. Question collected data, if it’s used and when it’s deleted. Individual actions can drive changes at scale. But they need a momentum. And momentum often comes through small changes: better defaults, reused filters and templates, reduced time on task. That’s also just good usability — and can have tangible impact for users and businesses at scale. Useful resources: Sustainable UX Toolkits, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/ePya82v3 Designing For Planet Knowledge Hub (Notion) https://lnkd.in/eiHtpkJH Product Design for Sustainability (+ Google Doc template), by Artiom Dashinsky ↳ https://lnkd.in/dDnujb-t ↳ https://lnkd.in/d95FWb4r *HUGE* thanks to Thorsten Jonas, Isabel Pettinato, Christoph Stark, Alice M., Bavo Lodewyckx, Poppe G., Stine Ramsing and all wonderful contributors to the project. Your effort doesn’t go unnoticed! 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾 #ux #design

🍀 Sustainable Digital Design Practices Did you know that the internet currently produces 3.7% of global carbon emissions and this number is constantly rising? A significant portion of our environmental impact happens on digital devices we use to access the internet. Designing for sustainability involves creating digital products that not only meet users' needs but also promote environmental and social sustainability. This approach aims to minimize the environmental impact while enhancing user satisfaction and contributing to a positive societal change. Common practices for designing sustainable products:  ✔ Simplify the experience to increase task efficiency. Get rid of unnecessary pages/screens; drive users to results faster. ✔ Reuse design assets when possible. Create flexible UI components that work in different contexts.   ✔ Aim to reduce user session duration instead of increasing it. ✔ Choose default settings that work for all your users (including people with disabilities). ✔ Help users get rid of unused data (e.g., invite users to review data that hasn’t been used for more than a year)  ✔ Auto switch to dark mode based on sunset/sunrise to save battery life.  ✔ Reduce data usage. Guide users to share URL to content instead of exporting PDF to save storage space.  ✔ Design for backward compatibility to extend the life of older devices, reducing electronic waste. ✔ Privacy by design. Respect user privacy and minimize data collection to what's strictly necessary. 📖 Guides: ✔ Sustainable Design Practices https://lnkd.in/dSMP6RQW ✔ Product Design for Sustainability (by Artiom Dashinsky) https://lnkd.in/dv_KnU3y ✔ Quick Guide to Sustainable Design Strategies (by Leyla Acaroglu)  https://lnkd.in/dXtbQY_r 🔨 Tools: ✔ Checklist for sustainability (by IBM) https://lnkd.in/dXcYSEmk ✔ Sustainable UX Design Toolkit for Miro  https://lnkd.in/dqrQ_VH3 ✔ Sustainability Innovation Framework (by Sebastian Gier ✓)  https://lnkd.in/d7t3b6J6 Sustainability kit for digital designers for Figma (by Elisa Fabbian Margherita Troilo and Rachele Pedol)   https://lnkd.in/dZm2d6Nc 🖼 Checklist for sustainability by IBM #sustainability #sustainabledesign #sustainablebusiness #ux #sustainabledevelopment #productdesign

💭When green meets genius. Ever scrolled past another beige "eco-friendly" product and yawned? The brands crushing it today know sustainability doesn't mean sacrificing style. In fact, the most viral companies are using environmental consciousness as their creative superpower. 💥Here's how forward-thinking brands are making sustainability scroll-stopping: 1) Trash to treasure - The Ultimate brand flex Who knew garbage could go viral? Rothy's turned 125+ million plastic bottles into shoes so stylish that waitlists became the norm. Their ocean plastic flats aren't just environmentally friendly, they're certified wardrobe flex pieces that customers proudly showcase on social. 2) Packaging that makes unboxing TikTok-worthy: Forget boring brown boxes! Lush created "naked" packaging that's become their signature social media moment. Their shampoo bars and bath bombs need zero packaging, creating an instantly recognizable aesthetic that customers can't help but share. 3) Drop culture goes green: Sustainable doesn't mean "always available." Patagonia's Worn Wear limited drops of recrafted gear create the same frenzy as sneaker releases. By transforming damaged returns into one-of-a-kind pieces, they've made secondhand the coolest option; items sell out in minutes. 4) Interactive impact campaigns: The most shared sustainability campaigns invite customers to join the movement. Allbirds' "Carbon Footprint" campaign made environmental impact a visible part of their products and invited customers to compete in reducing their personal footprints, gamifying sustainability. 5) Collab culture with a conscience Nothing drives social shares like unexpected collaborations. When IKEA partnered with fashion designer Virgil Abloh to create furniture from industrial waste, the limited collection generated lines around blocks and resale values tripled almost immediately. 🔥 Why this matters? Today's consumers aren't just buying products, they're buying into movements they can proudly share. When you make sustainability visually striking and socially shareable, you're not just saving the planet... you're building a brand that breaks the algorithm. Follow me Pradeep Gupta for insights related to business, leadership, and personal growth. #packaging #arts #creativity #brands #sustainable #companies

Global email usage alone generates as much CO2 as 7 million extra cars on the road. Here’s 7 (out of 29) UX tips to make your site's web performance better AND more sustainable. 1. Assess and research visitor needs. - Create user personas to represent your ideal customers and their goals. - Map user journeys to identify pain points and opportunities to streamline interactions. - Consider device constraints, connection speeds, language barriers, and accessibility. 2.Avoid unnecessary assets. - Use decorative elements only when they add value. - Reduce HTTP requests with fewer fonts. - Opt for CSS/SVG sprites for static images. - Saves energy in rendering, improves page load speed, & boosts conversions. 3.Take a more sustainable approach to media assets. - Assess your media - only use when they add value to the user experience. - Compress and format depending on visitor needs. - Implement lazy loading for data-heavy elements. - Reduces bandwidth usage and storage costs while improving user experience. 4.Incorporate performance testing. - Measure performance with each release cycle. - Identify and resolve code and infrastructure bottlenecks. - Write clean, efficient code to reduce resource usage. - Streamline data transfer to improve loading times. - Lowers energy consumption and hosting costs. 5.Provide useful notifications. - Justify and reduce non-essential notifications. - Give visitors control over messaging preferences. - Provide clear, helpful prompts and error messages. - Cuts down on data transfer and improves user engagement. - 6.Document and share project outputs. - Produce reusable, well-documented deliverables. - Ensure code is understandable and transferable. - Use formats that are easily accessible and editable. - Minimizes duplicate work and encourages collaboration — saving energy and development costs. 7.Avoid manipulative patterns. - Avoid dark patterns and deceptive design techniques, such as making it difficult and confusing to cancel a service or remove a pop-up. - This can include hiding buttons, forcing users to take unnecessary steps, and manipulative language. - Use ethical, clearly identified advertisements. - Avoid excessive data tracking and prioritize user consent. - Reduces user frustration (and wasted energy) while building long-term brand trust. Carbon emissions from digital products & services are a lot more than you think and tackling digital GHG emissions is a broad task — but sustainable UX practices are an easy way to benefit the planet and your business. --- ↻ Repost to share it with someone who might need it.