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User Experience in the
Age of Sustainability
::kem-laurin KRAMER::
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Question : How can we engage with users in the quest for more conscious designs?
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Question: What does User Experience in the A.O.S look like as a practice?
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Manufacturing
Transportation
Usage &/Energy
Consumption
Recycle/ Reuse
Disposal
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Product Phases Questions User Research Methodology
Manufacturing a. What materials are the products made of?
b. How were the products extracted?
c. Does the product contain hazardous materials?
d. Was the product manufactures under ethical conditions? – i.e. extraction,
manufacturing process?
Out of scope for User Research but possible through product
research and adds to User Researcher and Designers product
knowledge for understanding product beyond usage.
Transportation a. What is the transportation costs (emissions) associated with the products
production?
b. How is the product packaged?
c. What are the packaging constituents?
d. Are there associated documentation produced as part of the out of box
experience?
e. Are products compactable to lower Transportation emissions and cost?
Ethnography
Surveys
User Sessions
Panels and Forums
Questionnaires & Surveys
Contextual inquiry
Focus Groups
Workshops
End User Interviews
Data collected using these methods can feed into understanding how
to design more efficient systems that focuses on such things as:
1. Product Cube Optimization (making things compact based on
user needs)
2. Dematerialization: Migrating a service – based solution replace
solutions that require product transportation to something that
does not. See Chapter 5 Case Studies.
3. Transmaterialization
4. Informationalization
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Product Phases Questions User Research Methodology
Usage and Energy
Consumption a. How much energy is consumed in the production and use of the product?
b. If the product has a user interface – is it efficiently designed from a
sustainability perspective?
c. Does the product engage users in allowing some active management of
energy preservation (user messaging and notifications/ alerts)
d. Does the product provide energy usage management guidance as part of
the out of box experience? For example smart usage guide?
e. What is the performance of the product in market with the user?
f. What are the user’s perceived and real experiences with the product?
g. What is the user’s perception of the ecological value of the product – its
durability?
Ethnography
Surveys
User Sessions
Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research Methods
Cultural Probes and Photo Ethnography
Fly on the Wall Observation
Panels and Forums
Questionnaires and Surveys
Competitor Analysis
Contextual inquiry
Focus Groups (Workshops)
End User Interviews
Recyclability (Reuse and
Dematerialization) a. How long does the product last?
b. Do end users think that the products are durable?
c. If broken, can the user repair the product easily? – i.e. is it serviceable?
d. Can the constituent parts of the product be broken down to create other
products?
e. Can the product life be extended with another appropriated uses
f. Are there alternative service subscription options to the product?
g. Does the product have other hardware product dependencies when
upgraded?
h. Are constituent parts available locally
Ethnography
Surveys
User Sessions
Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research Methods
Cultural Probes and Photo Ethnography
Fly on the Wall Observation
Panels and Forums
Questionnaires and Surveys
Competitor Analysis
Contextual inquiry
Focus Groups (Workshops)
End User Interviews
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Product Phases Questions User Research Methodology
Facilities Not covered
Customer Perception a. What is the performance of the company’s products in market with the user?
b. What are the user’s perceived and real experiences with the product?
c. What is the user’s perception of the ecological value of the product – its
durability?
d. And how can the company design solutions and make changes to improve
users’ eco-perception.
Ethnography
Surveys
User Sessions
Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research Methods
Cultural Probes and Photo Ethnography
Fly on the Wall Observation
Panels and Forums
Questionnaires and Surveys
Competitor Analysis
Contextual inquiry
Focus Groups (Workshops)
End User Interviews
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Question : How can we integrate what we learn from users in the design and development life-cycle?
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Awareness of
Our World
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Laddering Panty Hose Text Book Case of Planned Obsolescence
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Approach to Design
Nature (Our World)
Knows Best
(Biomimicry)
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Biomimicry is the practice
of emulating nature’s
patterns and strategies to
direct product design,
processes, and policies,
and draws its inspiration
from the living world.
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14,000 setae
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From Stomata of living plant To living breathing building
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Approaches to Sustainability
• Biomimicry
• Natural Capitalism
• Total Beauty
• Life – Cycle analysis (LCA)
• C2C/ C2G
• SROI
• Sustainability Helix
• Natural Step
• ISO 14000
• GRI
• LEED (Developed by Green Building Council)
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What does that mean?
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Durability & Prolonged
Product Life
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Design for
Service (DfS)
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Dematerialization
SaaS
Universal Design
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Did you know?
• There are between 300-400 million electronic items thrown out per
• Less than 20% of that e-waste is recycled.
• E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, but it equals
70% of overall toxic waste.
• Because computer processing power doubles roughly every two
years, old computers are thrown out.
• Only 15% recycle their computers, which means the other 85% ends
up in landfills.
• It’s energy efficient to rebuild old computers, but only about 2% of
PCs ever find their way to a second user.
• About 50 millions cell phones are replaced worldwide a month, and
only 10% are recycled.
• If a million cell phones, it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions
equal to taking 1,368 cars off the road for a year.
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Software and Product
Phases [SDLC] and
PDLC
Referential
Sustainability
Framework
Sustainability Goals and
Strategies
[SDLC] Project planning &
Feasibility Study
[PDLC] Ideation
Cradle – to Cradle
Biomimicry
Natural Capitalism
Sustainability Helix*
Design for Efficiency
Transmaterialization
Interoperability
Localizations
Informationalization
Interoperability (Think Systemically vs.
Systematically)
[SDLC] Systems Analysis and
Requirements Definition
[PDLC] Conceptualization
Cradle – to Cradle
Biomimicry
Natural Capitalism
Sustainability Helix*
Design for Efficiency
Transmaterialization
Interoperability (Think Systemically vs.
Systematically)
Localizations
Informationalization
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[SDLC] Systems Design
[PDLC] Design and Development
Prototyping
(may be virtual Proof of Concept)
and Iterative before actual design
Biomimicry
Total Beauty
Natural Step
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Cradle-to-Cradle
SROI*
Design for Use
Dematerialization
Material Substitution
Design for Efficiency
Transmaterialization
Interoperability (fit in)
Design for Disassembly
Design for Serviceability
Localizations
Informationalization
Design for Durability
Avoid Planned Obsolescence
Design for Reuse
Design for Effectiveness
Design for all (Universal Access)
Design for Safety
Design for Aesthetics
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[SDLC] Implementation
[PDLC] Design
Biomimicry
Total Beauty
Natural Step
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Cradle-to-Cradle
SROI*
Design for Use
Dematerialization
Material Substitution
Design for Efficiency
Transmaterialization
Interoperability
Localizations
Informationalization
Design for Durability
Design for Disassembly
Design for Serviceability
Avoid Planned Obsolescence
Design for Reuse
Design for Effectiveness
Design for all (Universal Access)
Design for Safety
Design for Aesthetics (users keep
beautiful things)
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[SDLC] Integration and Testing
[PDLC] Testing
LCA (Life Cycle Analysis
SROI (Social Return on Investment)*
Cradle-to-Cradle
Total Beauty
(All of these frameworks can be used
as testing options for determining
the product’s sustainability
performance)
Design for Durability
Design for Reuse
Design for Effectiveness
Close the Loop on Design
Design for Disassembly
[SDLC] Acceptance, Installation, Deployment
[PDLC] Marketing
LCA (Life Cycle Analysis
SROI (Social Return on Investment)*
Design for Reuse
Design for Users – ensure users know what
they are buying, how to recycle (out of box
information)
Design for Recyclability (take back programs,
compostable, recycle)
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Question: How do
we balance out the
seemingly conflicting
ideals of sustainable
design practices?
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Question: How will
you begin to embrace,
advocate and
strategize for more
sustainable design
practices in your role?
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Transparency
Monitoring
Reporting
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Track and Manage Packaging Sustainability Ratings
Proactively find ways to improve package scores
Find more sustainable packaging material suppliers and service providers
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Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs)
Clean Electricity Plan
Products Cleanup/ eliminating hazardous substances
Take-back and recycle products responsibly once obsolete
Use of unsustainable materials in products and packaging
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Reporting Framework
Principles & Guidance
Reporting Protocols
Sector s& Supplements
What to Report
How to Report
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Question: What are
three (3) things that
you plan to change as
you return to your job/
role to meet this end?
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Twitter | kemlaurin
Facebook | kem.laurin
LinkedIn | kemlaurinkramer
Consultancy | www.sakaasolutions.com