book

Designing for Sustainability

by Tim Frick

August 2016

Intermediate to advanced

370 pages

9h 1m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Goliath and Frank: A Holiday TaleConnecting the DotsOne Designer’s ImpactClick CleanBut Isn’t Virtualization a Good Thing?Renewables versus efficiencyAwareness and the consumer problemB the Change: Why I Wrote This BookB MightyWho Should Read This BookHow This Book Is OrganizedLet’s Go!
What You Will Learn in This ChapterA Greener InternetBuilding Sustainable SolutionsSustainability DefinedSystems Thinking and SustainabilitySustainability in BusinessIdentifying EfficienciesLife Cycle AssessmentsSetting goals and scopeInventory AnalysisImpact assessmentInterpretationThe Greenhouse Gas ProtocolBenchmarkingMarketing, Branding, and GreenwashingInnovation and DisruptionLCAs in ActionSustainability and the InternetThe Jevons ParadoxIoTRunaway Page GrowthVideo StreamingVirtual RealityData CentersMoving to renewablesVirtual LCAsSoftware and Visual AssetsDesign and DevelopmentServer Uploads, Network DownloadsInteractionDisposal of DataCode obsolescenceInvesting in updatesConclusionAction Items
What You Will Learn in This ChapterSustainable Web DesignWeb Sustainability Standards?Mindset shiftSustainable Web Design: A FrameworkMore sustainable componentsFindability and content strategyDesign and user experienceWeb performance optimization (WPO)Potential Barriers and WorkaroundsAwarenessAdoptionWorkaroundsConclusionAction Items
What You Will Learn in This ChapterA Greener AppleThe Challenges of Being a Truly Green Web HostThe aged gridRECs versus renewablesTo grid or not to grid?Good company versus good marketingOther Sustainable ComponentsEnvironmentally Friendly WorkspacesThe Stakeholder ModelSustainable Mission StatementsLean/Agile WorkflowsGoing over the waterfallThe cone of uncertaintyAgile methodsAgile resourcesSoftware FrameworksOpen Source and SustainabilityA more sustainable communityHacking the climate with open sourceWeb StandardsPotential Barriers and WorkaroundsA Tale of Green Hosting WoeReliabilityCustomer serviceA strange twistGreen and good: winning bigGreen hosting, greener InternetConclusionAction Items
What You Will Learn in This ChapterThe Content ConundrumToward More Sustainable ContentDefining the RulesMeasurement is clutchThe content auditInformation architectureStory MattersLeading by exampleVideo ContentThe story dietVideo workflowsDevelopment/preproductionPost-productionDistributionVideo compressionAccessible videoAgile Content: A More Sustainable Solution?A scientific approachPreparing over planningLessons from Agile content strategyMore Sustainable SearchSEO and sustainabilitySearch on siteMore sustainable social strategiesPotential Barriers and WorkaroundsAwarenessShifting SandsConclusionAction Items
What You Will Learn in This ChapterUsers Versus Life CyclesBeyond Users: The Entire ExperienceSustainable Design WorkflowsIt’s about collaborationAgile Practices, UX, and SustainabilityPractical, TacticalDefine your users, define their devicesLean personasLean wireframingContent patterns and page briefsDisplay patterns and component designUser storiesAvoid dark patternsGive it a RestVisual DesignYe Olde Design CompStyle TilesColor ChoicesFonts and TypographyImageryWhich format?Compress those imagesUse CSS spritesInline imagesPrint StylesMeasure SuccessAccessibility, Sustainability, and DesignWeb StandardsMobile-FirstProgressive EnhancementResponsive DesignPotential Barriers to Sustainable UXConclusionAction Items
What You Will Learn in This ChapterPerformance CountsA Balancing ActWPO DefinedOptimization and CollaborationPerformance versus MaintenanceLibraries versus FrameworksFrameworksLibrariesSpeed Is Just One MetricCMS OptimizationWordPressWordPress Plug-insYour WordPress themeComments, pingbacks, and trackbacksDrupalYour Drupal modulesYour Drupal themePerformance RulesSpeed, Reliability, and Version ControlAutoprefixerShareThis, AddThis, DumpThisComments and Page BloatHTTP/2 and PerformanceWorkflow TipsLean/Agile WorkflowsStandards-Based DevelopmentValidating Your WorkAccessibility and SustainabilityPotential Barriers and WorkaroundsConclusionAction Items
What You Will Learn in This ChapterEstimating a Carbon FootprintCalculation CriteriaProposing a FrameworkEcograder: A Case StudyVision and GoalsThe Business CaseThe MethodologyGreen HostingGreen hosting methodologyPerformance optimizationGoogle PageSpeed insightsHTTP requestsShared resourcesFindabilityMozRankDesign and UXMobile optimizationUse of FlashThe ProcessResearchCompetitive analysisSprintsDesign and UXCreating Ecograder ContentPromoting EcograderResultsEcograder BenchmarkingFindability/SEODesign and UXPerformance OptimizationConclusionAction Items
What You Will Learn in This ChapterFuture-Friendly WebConscientious CompaniesGreen HostingHardwareEducation, IncubationEducationIncubationAnalytics and All the ThingsVirtual RealityOnline LegacyInterviews: Industry Leaders PredictGreg Hemmings, Hemmings HouseEmily Lonigro Boylan, LimeRed StudioMiquel Ballester Salva, FairphoneShawn Mills, Green House DataDavid Pomerantz, GreenpeacePete Markiewicz, The Art InstitutesJames Christie, MadPowAndrew Boardman, ManoverboardChris Adams, Product ScienceDavid Anderson, Canvas HostFinal Word

B Corp Leaders Profiled in This BookAndrew BoardmanWhy being a B Corp mattersMike GiffordWhy being a B Corp mattersRobert StevensWhy being a B Corp mattersJen BoyntonWhy being a B Corp mattersMiquel Ballester SalvàWhy being a B Corp mattersShawn MillsWhy being a B Corp mattersEmily Lonigro BoylanWhy being a B Corp mattersGreg HemmingsWhy being a B Corp mattersZach Berke and Phillip ClarkWhy being a B Corp mattersDavid AndersonWhy being a B Corp mattersEmily UtzWhy being a B Corp mattersAndy CrestodinaWhy being a B Corp mattersJD CapuanoWhy being a B Corp mattersJill PollackWhy being a B Corp mattersNoel BurkmanWhy being a B Corp mattersOther B CorpsNGOs, Educators, and Design Leaders Profiled in This BookDavid PomerantzPete MarkiewiczJames ChristieEric JanofskiRené PostJohn HaugenChris AdamsTodd LarsenTeam Mightybytes

Content preview from Designing for Sustainability

Chapter 3. Sustainable Components

What You Will Learn in This Chapter

In this chapter, we will cover:

Why green hosting powered by 100% renewable energy is so critical for building a more sustainable Internet.
How other components, such as sustainable business practices, Lean/Agile workflows, boilerplates, and software frameworks can make your web solutions more sustainable.
What the potential barriers are to hosting a digital product or service powered by renewable energy.

A Greener Apple

In the 2012 edition of Clicking Clean, its annual report on the Internet’s environmental impact, Greenpeace criticized Apple for its data centers’ reliance on fossil fuels. Within two years, Apple had publicly committed to a goal of powering its data centers with 100% renewable energy and the company has made great strides in turning that goal into reality. They have published facility-level details on energy consumption and improved the amount of information shared publicly on electricity used at each of its data centers. Apple is also one of the most aggressive among larger Internet companies in pursuing renewable energy to power its data centers, deploying a significant number of solar installations and micro-hydro projects since making the commitment to 100% renewables in 2012. The company has been similarly aggressive in reducing energy and carbon footprint for all of its operations. A data center location in Viborg, Denmark will be designed to capture excess heat and route it into the town heating ...