The Earth has gone through a major upheaval lately. It is increasingly evident that our planet is struggling to sustain itself. Alarming statistics reveal that nature has already lost a staggering 68% of our forest cover.

Amidst this crisis, the question arises: How can we halt this damage? One potential solution lies in embracing an eco-friendly design.

This approach empowers designers to educate individuals about the principles of sustainable living, inspiring them to make conscious choices that benefit the environment. Let’s see where all the opportunities lie.

What does it mean to design for sustainable living?

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle encompasses adopting a mindful approach that preserves the integrity of our environment. It involves making intentional decisions such as opting for eco-friendly packaging, supporting the use of recyclable products, and reducing power consumption, all of which aim to protect the precious resources of our planet. Designing with an eco-friendly mindset entails creating products that leave minimal environmental impact, considering factors like energy efficiency, climate influence, and carbon footprint.

Innovation plays a pivotal role in healing and safeguarding our environment. The emerging generation, particularly the Gen Z, is already leading the charge in demanding sustainable products. They prioritize the use of eco-friendly alternatives and strive to make conscious choices that contribute to the preservation of our planet. It’s an opportunity for companies to leverage this demand and becone future ready.

There are a myriad of techniques with which UX designers can instill the thought of sustainability in the minds of people. There are numerous techniques and innovative ideas emerging in experience design that aim to promote eco-friendly living.

In-app notifications

To raise awareness about eco-friendly practices, designers can create in-app notifications and animated visuals that promote environmentally conscious behaviors. Giving regular reminders in a friendly and interactive manner can instinctively make people conscious about the planet.

Web design

Designers can jam with clients on including eco-friendly visuals in their web design. Web design should speak of the fact that sustainability is the core value of the particular brand/product. By transparently conveying that their offerings have no detrimental impact on Earth’s resources, brands can demonstrate a commitment to practicing what they preach. Leading by example can inspire others to follow suit in their own sustainable endeavors.

Awareness through games

Educating people while they are playing their favorite games is a great way of spreading awareness. With conscious game design, we can educate the youth on sustainable practices. The storyline of the game can be crafted around the need to go green. Connect the game to this planet’s reality and embed awareness around saving it.

Be vocal about consequences

Letting people know what all may go wrong if they don’t adapt to healthy environment practices is a smart way to induce action. With design, we can create digital noise and communicate that people should not consume the resources of the planet in a selfish manner. Regular pop-ups and reminders stating the stats around the health of the planet can seed realization within people.

While talking about sustainable practices, one cannot overlook the cleanest form of energy, “renewable energy”. With the innovation of renewable energy- run products, companies can cut down costs and promise the world a cleaner future. How can we come up with ways to optimise it in the best way possible? With eco-friendly design and sustainable UX practices, designers can create a huge impact on the energy industry.

Best Practices around Sustainable UX

The impact of UX designers on the energy industry is profound, as they wield the power to drive positive change through design. There are various ways in which UX designers can influence sustainability. Let’s see how design is making a difference in the energy sector.

Making renewable energy accessible

With optimised UX design, seamless and integrated applications can be created to make renewable energy accessible to all. By crafting these intuitive and integrated applications, designers can bridge the gap between users and clean energy solutions. With thoughtful aesthetics, human-centered design principles, and streamlined digital processes, designers can empower individuals at all levels of society to embrace renewable energy.

This inclusive approach paves the way for a sustainable future where eco-friendly products are accessible to all, fostering a collective effort towards environmental preservation. In fact, Statiq is already doing it. Statiq has proved to be a company that has taken an active role in promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle with the largest network of electric vehicle charging stations in India.

It has accelerated sustainability across the nation with advanced technology & enriched user experience. As a conscious and dedicated UI UX design agency, Onething has successfully collaborated with Statiq, to help them in their endeavor to make renewable energy-led experiences accessible.

Through intuitive UX design, Statiq ensures seamless access to charging stations and a reliable charging experience for users. The designed platform helped the business expand to 7000+ charging stations, across the nation.

Low carbon footprint

Low carbon footprint is a fundamental concept that measures the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), released into the atmosphere due to human activities. It involves minimizing energy consumption, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, embracing sustainable practices, & adopting eco-friendly alternatives. This approach plays a pivotal role in mitigating climate change and promoting environmental sustainability, ensuring a healthier and more sustainable future for generations to come.

India’s new trailblazing force in the automotive industry, NueGo, has emerged as a driving catalyst for sustainable transportation. NueGo embarked on a mission to introduce a top-notch bus booking service specifically designed for urban residents.

In-depth research uncovered the core concerns of customers during their bus commutes, which encompassed timely and seamless onboarding, ensuring safety and cleanliness, enhancing the in-transit experience, and providing adequate luggage storage provisions.

Leveraging these insights, NueGo in collaboration with Onething designed features that directly addressed these concerns, enhancing the overall customer journey. The app also promotes eco-friendly travel by informing customers of their environmental impact and suggesting sustainable transportation options.

Through the Green Miles loyalty program, customers can earn points for choosing green modes of transportation, redeemable for discounts and upgrades. NueGo aims to provide a seamless booking experience while driving nationwide adoption of electric vehicles and encouraging sustainable travel practices. Hence, the way to be digitally sustainable goes through the choices that experience designers and developers implement.

Enhancing energy management systems

As the presence of technology devices continues to grow in industries as well as Indian households, there is an opportunity to promote energy conservation through the optimization of experience design in energy management systems. While these systems excel at automating energy management, they often lack guidance on minimizing power consumption. Prescinto is a renewable energy management platform that streamlines operations, and boosts financial returns on energy investments.

The platform had certain challenges with user flow and information structure, and team Onething helped them develop a simplified system with intuitive navigation. Notable features included graphical overviews and a progressive disclosure mechanism for complex data processing. Screen designs were optimized for accessibility, and real-time push notifications provide immediate action options. Precinto’s mobile-friendly interface allows easy viewing of complex charts and graphs. It revolutionizes energy management, offering a user-friendly interface for all.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, it is crucial to thoroughly analyze and address practices that harm the environment, taking deliberate steps to reduce their impact. The experience design community holds a significant opportunity to create a lasting and positive influence through their work. Companies such as Statiq, Prescinto, and Neugo have already joined forces with Onething, a global UI UX design agency aligning their efforts towards a greener future.

By collaborating with these leading organizations, we are paving the way for sustainable advancements and making a tangible contribution to a better future for all. Together, we can build a world that prioritizes environmental well-being and embraces the benefits of sustainable practices.