Responsive design for sustainable experiences

In the previous section, we explored various strategies aimed at reducing the digital carbon footprint of applications by making thoughtful design and UX decisions from the outset. These strategies typically assume a static environmental context, which is expected to remain constant throughout the product’s life cycle. However, in reality, digital products are used in a myriad of situations and on a variety of devices, where the context can significantly change over time. For instance, the energy grid’s intensity might fluctuate throughout the day, with cleaner energy being more readily available on sunny days compared to cloudy ones. Similarly, a mobile application may be accessed on devices with different screen sizes and types.

This section delves into how we can utilize contextual information from a UX and design perspective to adjust our products, thereby maximizing this data to reduce the digital carbon footprint...