{"id":763048,"date":"2021-07-27T08:58:11","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T15:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-blog-post&p=763048"},"modified":"2021-07-27T09:21:38","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T16:21:38","slug":"digital-physical-a-guide-to-sustainable-digital-design","status":"publish","type":"msr-blog-post","link":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/articles\/digital-physical-a-guide-to-sustainable-digital-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital = physical: A guide to sustainable digital design"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sandra Pallier (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"illustration<\/p>\n

Image credit: Sandra Pallier<\/em><\/p>\n

When I think back to my design education, I remember learning about graphic design, print, web, photography,\u00a0layout,\u00a0and typography.\u200b\u00a0But I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0have a single memory of any teacher, lecturer,\u00a0speaker,\u00a0or student ever\u00a0talking about the impact\u00a0our\u00a0designs\u00a0had\u00a0on the planet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then I started working in technology,\u00a0and the things I\u00a0designed\u00a0had to be human-centered and visually pleasing. The products had to be fast and so good that they\u202fbecame\u00a0a\u00a0bit\u00a0addictive\u202f\u2013\u202fENGAGEMENT\u00a0as\u00a0the metric of success. Again, there was never a meeting where someone stopped and asked,\u00a0\u201cWhat are the negative impacts here? What are the things\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0not considering? What\u2019s the impact this has on the planet?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, those\u00a0are hard questions to ask\u200b\u200b and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0difficult\u00a0to understand what the impact of digital design on the planet might be.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Digital = physical\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With physical products,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0easy to\u00a0see the impact from material sourcing, manufacturing and usage all the way to what happens at the end of a product\u2019s life. You can\u00a0easily\u00a0visualize\u00a0how you \u2014 as a designer \u2014 can make a difference.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When thinking about digital design,\u00a0however,\u00a0things get\u00a0trickier. The resources used are far-removed and abstract concepts that we\u00a0don’t\u00a0deal with day-to-day.\u00a0Sustainability\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0discussed in digital design, and there\u2019s a misconception that digital design doesn\u2019t do damage to the planet because you can\u2019t see its effects.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But a\u00a0click of a button online\u00a0<\/span>can<\/span><\/i>\u00a0set off a whole range of chain reactions. From the user device through cables and wires\u00a0back to a data\u00a0centre, from one server to another server, getting the required data and then all the way back to the user\u2019s device.\u00a0For all of this to work, devices and infrastructure need to be manufactured and connected and then\u00a0all\u00a0these services require electricity. And\u00a0most of the current electricity used on the planet\u00a0now\u00a0comes from burning fossil fuels.\u00a0In fact, in 2017\u00a0<\/span>only 17.3%<\/span> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of all the energy used came from renewables.\u00a0Where can our choices have an impact on the\u00a0future?\u00a0Getting started is easier than you might think.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Renewable energy sources<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0building, ensure that the\u00a0energy required for\u00a0your products and\u00a0services comes from renewable energy sources.\u00a0Microsoft\u00a0is\u00a0pretty good\u00a0at this \u2014 see\u00a0our\u00a0<\/span>Carbon Commitment from 2020<\/span> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for more\u00a0information. If\u00a0you’re\u00a0looking for more information on why this is important or how it can be done\u00a0elsewhere, check out\u00a0the resources at the bottom of this\u00a0post.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reduce the energy\u00a0required\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reducing the energy required is where\u00a0day-to-day design and product choices come in.\u00a0I\u2019ve learned tons from the\u00a0<\/span>ClimateAction.tech<\/span> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0community as well as Tom Greenwood\u2019s book\u00a0<\/span>Sustainable Web Design<\/span> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on this topic.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First,\u00a0you can start by\u00a0asking the questions:\u00a0<\/span>Should we build this at all? Is whatever the product or services does or improves worth the carbon cost?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0If yes, then we get to the next stage of\u00a0optimising\u00a0and\u00a0ensuring everything is as\u00a0energy efficient\u00a0as possible. Here are some ways to approach that:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n