You know it’s bad when even the science people are pissed

Sustainable and inclusive design in the era of accelerated decay.

Grapes of Spain by María Luisa de la Riva (source)

Sustainable design is in danger

One of the best books on Content Design was the one that taught me sustainable writing. From “Sustainable Content,” I learned that:

1. Being mindful of how we structure and deliver content can reduce unnecessary energy use (which is involved in every digital action — from sending a message to opening a web page).
2. Smaller content is more energy efficient. Shorter web pages, optimized images, and compressed files help cut down on unnecessary data use. Basically, I get to ignore one of the most useless words in the online text — “please” — like in “Please [do X]” — and I get to do it in the name of sustainability.
3. The more we rely on AI-generated content, the more hidden energy demands we create.

So, yes, thank you, Alisa Bonsignore, for your book.

But now, there’s another problem. I can’t save the planet by trimming web pages at work in the name of sustainability if one man in power is withdrawing billions from climate change organizations.

User Experience is above politics…

I’m not a particularly political person, OK?

Call me spineless, but after I had to help my mom identify what was left of our neighbors from photos on WhatsApp — pieces collected in a cardboard box— when our apartment block was bombed in 2023, I haven’t been much into the news. I mostly learn about politics from Nature magazine.

…but, come on, even the guys who only study frogs are angry

What shocks me is that even Nature — the guys who put magnets on frogs and get excited about ancient rocks — is furious with Trump.

So, if even the humble science folks are openly not happy, let me, too, spell out the following. The current political situation:

• Is bad for design and UX. We talk a lot about inclusive design, accessibility, and ethical tech— but all of that depends on broader political and social policies. If those…