Eco-design
Eco-designing digital services is a process of continuous improvement that aims to reduce the use of computing resources in order to extend the lifecycle of devices and thus decrease the manufacturing of newer equipments.
When following an eco-design approach, we consider digital technologies as a whole.
Why is it an ethical issue?
Eco-design is part of a wider approach to reduce the environmental impact of an organization. It should be integrated into a process of responsibility: accessibility, inclusivity and ethics.
Like many environmental issues, it is important not to let it be used for greenwashing purposes.
Where to start?
We are making some resources available to help you embark on your eco-design approach.
Eco-design guide
This guide introduces the practices most central to designing digital services with a lower environmental footprint.
It deals with eco-design matters while attempting to bridge over to issues of accessibility, attention economy and diversity.
How to get started with an eco-design approach as a designer?
Where to begin when deploying eco-design in a company and its products and services? What initiatives to pursue when we are so few, or even alone, to carry this task out? 110 ideas put forward by professionals and compiled into a structured list.
When to go digital?
The first step in eco-design is asking yourself whether digitizing your service is necessary.
RGESN
The Référentiel Général de l'Ecoconception des Services Numériques (General Repository for the Eco-design of Digital Services) (French) is a self-assessment tool for services and their fulfillment of eco-design principles. It is an official source published as part of the framework of the loi REEN (Act aiming to Reduce the Environmental Footprint of Digital technologies) (French).
- Publication of the RGESN: takeaways 21/05/2024
- The RGESN and what designers should try to do 30/05/2024
- Dedicated Designers Ethiques Slack channel for exchanges about the RGESN: #communaute_rgesn Join the Slack (French)
For further information
Other resources at your disposal:
- Video (Youtube): Qu’est ce que l’écoconception d’un point de vue du design et pourquoi en faire ? Quelles bonnes pratiques mettre en place ? (Codeurs en Seine 2021) (French)
- Article: Faut-il éco-concevoir tous les services numériques ? (French)
- Video (Peertube): Quels enjeux politiques pour l’éco-conception de service numérique ? (Ethics by Design 2020) (French)
- Video (Peertube): Webinaire lancement du guide d'écoconception (French)
- Video (Peertube): Concevoir de manière responsable, l'exemple de Fairphone (Ethics by Design 2020) (French)
Getting trained
We hold eco-design workshops and trainings on a regular basis.
Find upcoming ones on our calendar.
Contact
- Anne Faubry: anne@designersethiques.org
- Aurélie Baton: aurelie@designersethiques.org