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.
Summary
The fourth in a series of discussions centered around Climate UX. The adverse effects of climate disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, but what does this mean in the context of UX? How does accessibility affect climate? What lessons can we draw from the accessibility movement to enhance our efforts in scaling climate action? Join our conversation to hear perspectives from those who have worked at this intersection. Panelists: Ned Gartside, Tzviya Siegman, Zoe Lopez-Latorre; Moderated by: Mike Gifford
Key Insights
-
•
Accessibility principles like simplification and user choice inform sustainable web design successfully.
-
•
Sustainability in digital design is multi-dimensional and cannot be judged by page size alone.
-
•
Video, while data-heavy, can be an energy-efficient and inclusive form of user communication.
-
•
User empowerment can include toggles offering choices between higher and lower carbon footprint options.
-
•
Government digital services exemplify leadership in integrating accessibility and sustainability standards.
-
•
Sustainability adoption succeeds when linked to business outcomes like conversion or user experience.
-
•
There is a shortage of sustainability-trained professionals, but the field is rapidly evolving with new educational resources.
-
•
Digital sustainability responsibilities need to be clearly assigned using maturity models and cross-organizational collaboration.
-
•
Digital impact compounds across millions of users, making even small efficiency gains significant at scale.
-
•
The climate crisis urgency requires applying lessons from accessibility work: combined grassroots efforts and organizational leadership.
Notable Quotes
"Accessibility is a better sell than sustainability when engaging clients."
"We need to have a planet before we can have dignity, and sustainability and accessibility are tied basic human rights."
"There is no direct correlation between data size and energy consumed; many factors interplay."
"User choice can include opting for a higher carbon or lower carbon version of the same content."
"73% of users are willing to choose a more sustainable browsing option even if image quality decreases."
"Sometimes the best solution for users isn't digital - for example, farmers often prefer face-to-face interactions."
"Sustainability can accelerate adoption when it aligns with business impact, like improving conversions."
"You need the whole organization involved, from engineering to marketing to legal, to make sustainability work."
"There are risks that sustainability tools become gatekeepers or quasi-standards themselves, which we must avoid."
"The digital sector’s compounded impact on carbon footprint exceeds industries like airlines when aggregated across millions."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"We design interactions and hope to influence the experience, but we don’t control the system fully."
Shreya Dhawan Victor Udoewa Xènia Viladas Florian VollmerMaking service tangible: the fastest path to higher performance
November 19, 2025
"The harder I think, the further I am from the answer."
Dan WillisEnterprise Storytelling Sessions
May 13, 2015
"Mistake celebration meetings normalize errors and allow teams to get ahead of problems quickly."
Alla WeinbergHow to Build and Scale Team Safety
January 8, 2024
"Confidence is a higher burden in retail because people are giving real money; inaccessible flows cause quick abandonment."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
June 7, 2023
"When Jack Dorsey launched Square, people hated it at RISD. Two years later, it was everywhere on campus."
John MaedaMaking Sense of Enterprise UX
June 9, 2016
"Technology alone is not enough; government agencies need human-centered strategies and digital culture adoption."
Angy Peterson Bob AinsburyMore Than Technology: Personalized Public Sector Experiences
December 10, 2021
"The more I work with evals, the more I think UX and product people need to be involved because of the need for diverse perspectives."
Peter Van DijckHands-on AI #2: Understanding evals: LLM as a Judge
October 15, 2025
"Managing resistance isn’t just pushing through it; it’s about aligning people, practices, and goals."
Jon FukudaTheme 3 Intro
September 25, 2024
"We’re drinking our own champagne—using our products internally months before release to stress test and improve them."
George Hinchliffe Joy LiuDelivering Amazing Experiences
June 10, 2021
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What signs indicate an organization is ready to experiment with coordinated collaboration approaches?
When should specialized researchers be involved in a research study based on problem clarity and risk?
How can service designers influence outcomes in complex systems where direct control is impossible?