10 Sustainable UI Design Patterns Checklist
Want a greener website? Here's how:
- Dark mode and low-contrast colors
- Simple designs
- Optimized images
- System fonts
- Streamlined navigation
- Minimal animations
- Energy-efficient content
- Smart clicks and scrolls
- Green web hosting
- Accessibility for all
These can slash digital pollution. Example: Chipotle rewards members using dark mode could power 5,000 U.S. homes for a month.
| Pattern | Impact |
|---|---|
| Dark mode | Up to 63% less power (OLED) |
| Image compression | 50% smaller files |
| System fonts | Faster loading |
| Limited animations | Better performance |
| Green hosting | Carbon offset |
Start here: Check your carbon footprint, cut heavy media, use clean energy hosting, and simplify your design.
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Checklist Breakdown
1. Power-saving colors
Dark mode and low-contrast colors save energy on OLED screens. Google found dark mode can cut power use by 63%.
2. Simplicity wins
Cut the fluff. Focus on key content. Apple's clean designs reduce data load.
3. Faster images
Compress, lazy load, use vectors. Pinterest halved image sizes without quality loss.
4. Smart font choices
System fonts, fewer types, smart loading. GitHub's switch sped up pages and cut bandwidth.
5. Easy navigation
Clear paths, simple menus. Amazon's "1-Click" ordering cuts user time and server load.
6. Animation diet
Basic CSS, lower frame rates. BBC limits animations for better performance.
7. Lean content
Brief writing, less video, text options. Wikipedia's text-based approach is resource-efficient.
8. Efficient interactions
Fewer hover effects, smoother scrolling. Facebook's infinite scroll aims to reduce page loads.
9. Green hosting
Eco-friendly providers, smart CDNs, optimized servers. GreenGeeks plants a tree per account.
10. Universal access
WCAG rules, screen reader support, keyboard use. Microsoft's Inclusive Design can lead to more efficient designs.
Wrap-up
Eco-friendly UI isn't just trendy—it's necessary. These 10 patterns can make your site look good and do good.
Quick recap:
| Action | Impact |
|---|---|
| Dark mode | Up to 63% less power (OLED) |
| Image compression | 50% smaller files (Pinterest) |
| System fonts | Faster loading (GitHub) |
| Fewer animations | Better performance (BBC) |
| Green hosting | Tree planting (GreenGeeks) |
Small changes add up. Chipotle's dark mode example: 5,000 homes powered for a month.
Next steps:
- Check your carbon footprint
- Cut heavy media
- Choose clean energy hosting
- Keep it simple