Environmentally Conscious Digital Interfaces: A Mindful Approach to UX

Despite the common misconception that digital technology tends to “dematerialize” human activities, the environmental impact of the Internet is no longer negligible. As data traffic keeps growing at alarming speed, it is estimated that the entire network will consume 20% of global electricity production by 2025. Such energy consumption is a direct consequence of the great amount of time that we—and our smart devices—spend online. Although the cloud computing model allows to produce energy-efficient devices, data centers tend to consume more and more energy. At the same time, digital content is becoming heavier, mostly due to the growing importance of video streaming and the complexity of contemporary interfaces. Heavier websites and continuous content updates impact the energy usage of the network infrastructure and shorten the lifespan of the expensive devices that we use to access the Internet. Such a scenario requires web designers to acknowledge the environmental issue as a main driver in their efforts to optimize User Experience. Among the parameters that define the quality of a digital artifact, sustainability must play a central role, as complex, ultra-fast, and highly personalized interfaces may satisfy the user but represent a liability for our ecosystem’s survival. The paper proposes an analysis of energy-efficient websites, that clarify how designers can make environmentally conscious choices. Ultimately, methodological tools are offered to recognize, evaluate, and decrease the impact of digital interfaces on the Internet carbon footprint.