Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
A UXer’s 12-Month Journey from Climate Concern to Climate Credibility
This video is featured in the Climate UX Case Studies playlist.
Summary
Climate change demands action, but many UX professionals feel stuck between deep climate concern and uncertainty about making meaningful impact in their current roles. At this session, UXer Sara Conklin will share how she transformed from climate-anxious and feeling “climate-stuck” at work to driving climate impact through industry credibility without changing jobs. Key insight: UX skills alone aren't enough. You need technical climate knowledge to add real value. Sara will share the strategies she used to shift from climate-stuck to focused contributor, plus concrete tools to build climate clarity, confidence, credibility, and contributions whether or not you stay in your current role.
Key Insights
-
•
Adding specificity to the climate Venn diagram by defining what specific work needs to be done is crucial for effective climate action.
-
•
Reading and decoding a company’s ESG report is a valuable first step to understanding how one can contribute to climate goals internally.
-
•
Using a double diamond design process helps to navigate ambiguous climate problems by iterating between exploring problem spaces and focusing on solutions.
-
•
Focusing too broadly on multiple climate problems can lead to floundering; narrowing down to one well-defined problem accelerates impact.
-
•
Self-directed learning combined with structured, niche climate classes provides both foundational knowledge and practical skills.
-
•
Building a network of people who know just slightly more than you (‘one notch above’) makes networking conversations more productive and less intimidating.
-
•
Freelancing or pro bono projects offer hands-on experience to apply climate knowledge even without a formal climate job.
-
•
Even if your current job isn’t climate-focused, you can bring climate action into it by reading ESG reports, finding allies, and applying climate design principles.
-
•
Strategic networking for climate work involves targeted outreach with specific questions, not generic cold contacts.
-
•
Making a disciplined learning plan and blocking time for ‘flat food learning’ helps overcome the common excuse of ‘not having enough time’.
Notable Quotes
"Many UXers do feel stuck and care about climate, but they’re really not sure how to contribute professionally."
"I started at absolute zero with climate knowledge and now I have clarity, confidence, credibility, and ability to contribute."
"What I realized is you need to add one word to the climate Venn diagram: specific, what specific work needs doing."
"Reading my company’s ESG report overwhelmed me with words I didn’t understand but was crucial for knowing where to focus."
"You have to get super specific about the climate problem you want to solve and why it's important for you."
"Don’t cold reach out to people with ‘let’s connect’; instead, ask very specific questions about topics they care about."
"Network with people who know just one notch more than you, not the CEO right away."
"Self-directed learning is hard and busy, but you have to make time and schedule learning religiously."
"I applied my unique skills in UX strategy, behavior design, and innovation facilitation to help climate tech reduce adoption barriers."
"Every job is a climate job. Wherever we are, the climate needs us to address it in our role."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"You can see how this is an absolutely fantastic way to get any UX question answered quickly at any time of day without bothering your instructor or your boss."
Louis RosenfeldHow to use the Rosenbot
March 16, 2026
"Having the qualitative and quantitative data together lets us tell a comprehensive story to stakeholders."
Mackenzie Cockram Sara Branco Cunha Ian FranklinIntegrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research from Discovery to Live
December 16, 2022
"Some of the most important decisions for service design happen on whiteboards among engineers, often without service design representation."
John CutlerOxbows, Rivers, and Estuaries: How to navigate the currents of change (without burning out)
December 3, 2024
"The biggest blockers to adopting new tools are often company policy, security concerns, and budget constraints."
Angelos ArnisState of DesignOps: Learnings from the 2021 Global Report
October 1, 2021
"Quality is value to some person who matters."
John CutlerThe Alignment Trap
November 29, 2023
"If you work with humans, you work with trauma; it’s inherent in human experience."
Uday Gajendar Rachael Dietkus, LCSW Dr. Dawn Emerick Dawn E. Shedrick, LCSWLeading through the long tail of trauma
July 7, 2022
"If you wait for permission, you will probably never be granted it. Just start doing what you know to be the right thing."
Lori Muszynski Peter MerholzKeeping Design Weird
October 2, 2023
"Completion rates (conversion rates) and dropout rates are simple metrics but often not tracked or shared."
Caroline JarrettGarbage in, garbage out? Measuring error rates to get ready for AI
January 8, 2026
"In enterprise products, personas are closely related to roles and skills, but user research is essential to understand needs."
Robert ReimannTaming Design Complexity with UX Models
June 8, 2017
