The idea of Sustainability
Sustainability and Web Design are two words that don't seem to make sense together. However,
I will show you how they can be complementary. Sustainability is a topic that is no longer fashionable, but something that needs to happen. Large companies are already taking initiatives in this direction. Sustainable projects are very important, as they promote social, cultural and habits change.
Creating websites, as simple as it may seem, has many layers of development, and this is exactly where we have to start looking for alternatives. There are already companies with sustainability components in their creation principles. However, according to the "Green Web Foundation" there are still no records of these companies in Brazil. This means that no national company meets the requirements for the use of renewable energy or that makes a commitment to be Carbon Neutral. These principles would already be important steps towards the beginning of a sustainable transformation.
Also read: Save time by reducing waste
Performance Optimization (SEO)
Let us also consider that in a globalized society, where the use of the Internet shows no signs of diminishing, we have an obligation to make websites faster and more efficient. The second step towards a more sustainable path would then be to reduce the loading of each page, through the application of Performance Optimization (SEO) techniques, which increase the page loading speed. With Performance Optimization, the images and videos that we publish save small levels of energy that, applied to the total, to the high number of users, would translate into considerable reductions in consumption.
Even in the very decision of typography and colors, sustainability has a say. Choosing a system font will always be the best option, as it requires zero server requests and no data transfer. But what if you don't want to be limited in this choice? Use the font you've always dreamed of for the titles and subtitles of your pages and use system fonts for the body text.
Have you ever wondered if the user finds it easy to find your website? The easier it is to find your site, the fewer resources will be used! Thus, if you optimize your website, the user experience will be better by maintaining clear and easy-to-understand designs, with a concern for reducing loading time and optimizing for mobile, which gives you more chances to improve your ranking in the engines. search engine (Google).
Sustainable Web Design
Único Design Criativo has already been using sustainable and ecologically correct websites in its Web Design projects. Our Websites are developed with Performance Optimization (SEO) techniques that increase page loading speed, facilitating user navigation and quick access, reducing HTTP requests and, consequently, helping users to enter and exit pages faster. As we have already discussed in the previous paragraphs, websites with a well-optimized web design demand less from the servers, that is, less energy consumption from our mobile devices, notebooks and monitors, which contributes positively to the environment.
Where to find good examples of Sustainable Web Design? Unfortunately here in Brazil there are few companies that address this issue and use a sustainable and ecologically correct web design. During some of our research we found 2 good examples of sustainable websites, Rights4children or the Wholegrain Digital agency , which will help you realize that you don't have to compromise your design or what you envisioned to be sustainable.
Sustainable Graphic Design
The creative process in design took into account only its "aesthetic" value, but the growing worldwide concern with the relationship between man and the environment, led to a search for solutions guided by sustainable development, generating actions that contemplate the economy, society , politics, science and technology.
Approximately 70% of the environmental impact of products or graphic pieces is determined during their creation phase. However, taking care of your designs while taking care of the environment is possible. Replacing the use of white paper with recyclable paper, which requires a reduction in the cutting of more trees; emissions of gases such as methane and carbon dioxide; in soil aggressions; the waters and others; thus, even if recycling processes cause their own environmental impacts through transportation, energy consumption, the damage to the environment is less.
Unique Design Criativo chose to use "Papel Semente" in its printed media, a recycled, handmade and ecological paper that receives seeds from flowers, vegetables and spices during its manufacturing process. The Seed Paper is totally sustainable, after its use you can plant it, generating life instead of garbage. Flowers, vegetables and even powerful medicinal herbs are born from the paper that is planted. We also offer our customers the option of the Digital Business Card, a 100% interactive, ecologically correct and sustainable card.
Get involved
We know that these changes only depend on ourselves and that they will not happen overnight. However, if everyone does their part, creating and producing sustainable products and services, these would already be important steps towards the beginning of a transformation of an increasingly sustainable world.
Being sustainable requires commitment to the environment, because, like it or not, this is the only viable future for humanity. So, how about adapting the Web Design of your site to be ecologically correct?
Join us in this innovative project!
