Creating a perfect website is a real challenge for a web designer. Driven by the constant desire to develop a product that is fast, aesthetic and functional, he faces other issues such as the ecological factor. As you know, the question of the environmental impact of a website arises for any developer. The pollution caused by data centers that store the infinite amount of data circulating on the web is often ignored by the promoters of teleworking and all digital.In this context, does a web designer have the opportunity to reduce, at his level, the carbon footprint? There are a few ways to move towards a "green UX" and design greener websites.
Reduce the use of visuals
There was a time, which the under-twentys do not know, when the Internet was black and white devoid of images. Internet users scrolled through the text contained in huge blocks. It sounds completely surreal! Indeed, it is difficult to imagine an online gaming site like betFIRST Casino or a social network such as Instagram without quality images. All these visuals represent a real problem in terms of storage and are a source of greenhouse gas emissions. The solution would be to reduce the size of the images, use lower quality and above all not abuse it.
Video optimization
Videos are even more data-intensive than images. Since the advent of streaming platforms like Netflix or YouTube the problem has continued to grow.Of course, video is essential to communicate and capture the attention of young people, accustomed to the visual rather than the written. Without prohibiting it, it is possible to optimize it.For example, it is not necessary for a video to be 1080p given the size of the window and the context of use. Similarly, a generic of 15 or 20 seconds is not necessarily essential. The key is to know how to ask the right questions, lighten them and shorten them as much as possible.
Reduce fonts
It is a detail but it has its importance in the fight to save the environment. The multiplication of fonts is a factor in data consumption. By limiting one-size-fits-two typographies, CO2 emissions may be reduced. Reducing the effects of styles and variants is an interesting avenue to explore and develop. Moreover, as any good designer knows, a reasoned use of fonts is one of the basic principles of web design. As the saying goes: "less is more"!
Recycling
There is no need to upload new images or videos for each new project. It would be much greener to recycle. You can, for example, give a second life to an image by using the original file with a CSS filter. From a visual it is possible to create multiple variants: black and white, color, blurred, etc. Green UX is still in its infancy. The issue related to the environment will have to be taken into account more and more by web designers. They too must play their part in the fight against global warming. The well-being of the planet and future generations is at stake.
