Rosenverse

Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.

Log in Create free account

100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.

The journey of building a sustainable design practice
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 • Climate UX Interest Group (Rosenfeld Community)
Share the love for this talk
The journey of building a sustainable design practice
Speakers: Tim Frick
Link:

Summary

Watch this special case-study webinar with Tim Frick of Mightybytes, where we’ll explore the journey of building a sustainable design practice. Tim shares how sustainability became a core part of Mightybytes’ work, the wins and challenges along the way, and how the definition of sustainability continues to evolve. Discover why “green” design is not necessarily the more costly option but an opportunity, and learn actionable strategies—including tools like Ecograder and the WC3 guidelines—to integrate sustainability into your own design practice. Whether you're just getting started or looking to deepen your approach, this session provides insights and first steps to move forward.

Key Insights

  • Sustainability became a core part of Mighty Bytes' work in 2011, inspired by becoming a certified B Corp.

  • The B Corp certification process was eye-opening, revealing the broader definition of sustainability beyond environmental impact.

  • Eco Grader, launched in 2013, helps educate clients about the sustainability of their digital assets.

  • Continuous improvement and iterative learning are crucial to sustaining a successful design practice.

  • Engaging clients in sustainability practices requires proper education and awareness-building efforts.

  • Mighty Bytes aimed to model a better way forward in sustainability rather than succumb to the narrative of doom.

  • Collaboration and community-building are vital for driving sustainable practices in business.

  • Sustainable design and accessibility should be integrated rather than viewed as separate initiatives.

  • The new B Corp standards emphasize continuous improvement and rigorous benchmarking against social and environmental metrics.

  • The climate tech and sustainability movements are gaining momentum, but educating stakeholders remains a significant challenge.

Notable Quotes

"We started in 1998 with the idea of helping purpose-driven enterprises that were falling behind in the digital revolution."

"Becoming a B Corp in 2011 led us to redesign everything about the business."

"Eco Grader was designed to show clients how they could improve their sustainability metrics easily."

"Sustainability involves both ecological and social dimensions — it's not just about emissions."

"We quickly learned that if clients didn't understand sustainability, we needed to educate them."

"Practicing sustainability requires continuous learning and improvement, or you risk falling behind."

"If you don't want an accessible website, then maybe don't hire us."

"The biggest hurdle is convincing organizations that sustainable choices can actually improve their bottom line."

"Designing for sustainability can lead to profound collective action when people come together."

"Every organization has low-hanging fruit in their sustainability journey — find out what yours is."

Lin Nie
When Thought-worlds Collide: Collaborating Between Research and Practice
2021 • Advancing Research 2021
Gold
Louis Rosenfeld
How AI will Change DesignOps Tooling
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
Brendan Jarvis
Framing Tomorrow by Questioning Today
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Ned Dwyer
The Future of DesignOps is Tool Consolidation
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Josh Clark
Sentient Design, AI, and the Radically Adaptive Experience (1st of 3 seminars)
2025 • Rosenfeld Community
Daniel Gloyd
Warming the User Experience: Lessons from America's first and most radical human-centered designers (Videoconference)
2024 • Rosenfeld Community
Shipra Kayan
Make your research synthesis speedy and more collaborative using a canvas
2025 • Rosenfeld Community
Cassini Nazir
The Dangers of Empathy: Toward More Responsible Design Research
2023 • Advancing Research 2023
Gold
Asia Hoe
Partnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
2023 • Design in Product 2023
Gold
Andy Warr
Under My (Research) Umbrella: The Benefits and Challenges of Building a Unified Insights Function
2024 • Advancing Research 2024
Gold
Daniela Magaña Flores
Ahead of Competition: Learn What UX Benchmarking Can Do for Your Business Today
2022 • Advancing Research 2022
Gold
Prayag Narula
Dialing for Research: How to Reach the Unreachable
2022 • Advancing Research 2022
Gold
Saara Kamppari-Miller
Theme Three Intro
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
Rittika Basu
Age and Interfaces: Equipping Older Adults with Technological Tools (Videoconference)
2023 • Advancing Research Community
Bria Alexander
Charting the future of DesignOps: A community workshop (Videoconference)
2024 • DesignOps Community
Uday Gajendar
Day 1 Welcome
2024 • Designing with AI 2024
Gold

More Videos