What is sustainable graphic design?
Simply put, sustainable graphic design is an approach that considers the environmental impact of the design being created.
Making wise decisions about the shape, size, and color of your designs can have far-reaching consequences. Paper, ink, and material choices for printed designs can significantly reduce a design piece's carbon footprint. This means fewer emissions and better use of natural resources. There is also a carbon cost and considerations to be made for images that will only be viewed electronically. There is also your working environment as a designer, the power consumed by your equipment, and the companies whose products you choose to use.
5 ways to reduce the carbon footprint of graphic design
Printer-friendly website design – Think about how much ink your design will use if a user prints a page from your website. For example, white text on a colored background will use more ink than dark text on a white background.
Recyclability- Consider how many easily recyclable materials could be used in your design. For example, does your design need to be printed on the highest quality card, or will the message be equally as clear on a lower GSM product?
Consider the size of your designs – you want them to look good on a screen. You also want to reduce their environmental impact. The larger the image and file size, the more energy is consumed. Reducing the size of your design is a small change that can have a big impact on energy consumption. Examine your electronic usage and consider the impact your designs will have on the internet.
Look for a green cloud provider – if you're working on a design for a client, you'll need to share it with them as you work on it. Instead of emailing them your designs, use a cloud-based solution for sharing and collaboration, and shop around to ensure the provider you choose is environmentally friendly. According to Climate Care, moving to the cloud can reduce a small business's carbon footprint by 90 percent.
Examine your equipment – as a graphic designer, you will need up-to-date computing equipment to run resource-intensive programs. However, new machinery has a carbon footprint. According to studies, increasing the amount of time you use a single computer and monitor from 4 to 6 years can save you the equivalent of 190kg of carbon emissions. Before you throw away your computer and replace it, consider whether you could upgrade or repair it instead.
