Member-only story
Tech designers: 6 steps to fight climate change
Quick and easy things you can do right now.
As the former head of design at Opower, and someone who has made a career of designing for environmental behavior change, I often get requests from designers in tech who would like advice on how to help the planet. People want to know:
How can I use my design skills to fight climate change?
Switching jobs is one way, but not the only way. As a designer, there are steps you can take to minimize your impact on the planet. Here are 6 areas to focus on, with suggestions on how to get to started in only 60 minutes. ⏰
Step 1. Join climate design communities
There are wonderful virtual communities out there. Joining them will give you access to potential future collaborators, inspiring articles, online events, and job opportunities. Here are three:
- ClimateAction.Tech — An incredibly active and informed Slack community of 2K+ in tech and design. Their weekly newsletter is the most useful one I receive — it’s consistently relevant, actionable, and inspiring. (Run by a dedicated crew of international volunteers)
- Climate Designers — “Creative professionals taking climate action.” They run monthly online meetups in US, Europe, and Asia, and have a vast collection of resources on their site. (Run by SF-based agency The Determined)
- SustainableUX — Love their simple tagline: “Design vs. Climate Change.” They had a 2019 virtual conference and all talks are available online. (Run by Boston agency Mad*Pow)
⇨ To do right now: Join 3 communities — 5 minutes
- Sign up to join ClimateAction.tech (Also referred to as CAT)
- Subscribe to the SustainableUX newsletter
- RSVP for a Climate Design meetup in a city closest to you
Also, IxDA recently announced their upcoming conference with a theme of ‘Design for Perilous Times’, and I imagine climate change and climate justice will be featured. Take a look, and submit a proposal if you have thoughts to share on these important topics: IxDA 2021
