Hannah Smith is one of our speakers at UX London 2023. Ahead of her talk — ‘Thinking differently about digital sustainability’ — we had a chat with her.
Here’s what we asked, and what Hannah told us:
Which are the greenest spaces in digital, and how can we learn from them?
The term “green” means different things to different people. In answering this question, the context I’m using is that for me “green” means sustainable. This takes into account the three pillars of environment, social and economic consideration. In others words it’s a much broader perspective than carbon emissions
A really interesting area to look at right now is community tech.
“The term “community tech” means any hardware or software that delivers benefit to a community group, and which that community group has the authority to influence or control.” — The case for community tech report
Whilst the links between community tech and sustainability might not be immediately obvious they are there, and strongly so. Community organisations are often on tight budgets and therefore what they do is thrifty and without bells and whistles. They also know exactly who their audience is and what they want to do. In that respect you can argue that the community tech is massively green because they are not wasting resources.
Another area of huge inspiration is the open source movement. Similar to the field of community tech, there is a lot to be learned and gained from democratizing what we create for the benefits of others.
How should we, as folk working in the digital space, support this mindset shift within the industry?
The best thing you can do is ask questions. If you are in any kind of leadership role, create a culture of encouraging and embracing questions, especially the difficult ones. Questions like Where are the resources coming from that power these things behind the scenes, who was involved in making them, who stands to benefit or quietly fall foul of our decisions.
If there was one specific question I’d encourage everyone to ask, it would be “Why does this thing need to grow?”. One of the most deeply entrenched mindsets we have within digital at the moment is this idea that we’re only succeeding if we’re growing something. More clicks, more visitors, more features, more options. In some circumstances the growth may well be warranted, but there does come a point when the growth is for growth’s sake. We need to start challenging the assumption that everything can and should grow forever.
Are there any ways that digital and tech can learn from green initiatives in other industries?
Making our world more sustainable is never going to be easy. There’s no switch we flip and hey presto, it’s sorted. There are going to be struggles, tensions and uncomfortable moments along the way. We’ve got to lean into these and not be afraid to embrace the difficulties that lie ahead.
The kinds of change we are seeking are systemic changes. So let’s take inspiration from the methods and techniques that have been successful in changing minds and attitudes in other aspects of society. We can learn much from the efforts of the African American civil rights movement for example.
Another important example is to look to the arts and creative industries. Changing attitudes and mindsets is often about showing others the art of the possible and providing inspiration. Creativity is seen as an aspiration to re-create and discover new paths to accelerate the transitions towards sustainability.
What are your go-to sources for tech inspiration and innovation?
I’m regularly found hanging out within the ClimateAction.tech community. It’s a global community of over 9,000 tech sector workers all seeking to shift the systems within their own organizations. I love the weekly newsletter which summarizes what the community has shared and discussed.
And finally, what are you currently listening to, reading or watching?
I’m just about to start reading Red Rising by Pierce Brown. It was published in 2013 and is framed as a space-age hunger games. Also on my reading list is The Deluge by Stephen Markley. On the box, I’m currently watching Annika on BBC, a detective series featuring a rather witty and quirky female detective.
You can see Hannah’s talk at UX London 2023, on 22–23 June, at Tobacco Dock, London.
