unXPOSEd | Thoughts & ideas

Green web design

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Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:47:48 GMT

Why web design is inherently sustainable

If capitalism is to survive, and sustain itself, then the death of the high street is essential. We must re-think our romantic ideals about outings to the shops, and become brutally honest about how best we can optimise the energy efficiency of our consumption. Can we continue constructing vast shopping centres and retail parks, or must any environmentally conscious retail outlet now employ a website as its primary sales assistant?

The current energy usage of the retail industry is massive, the biggest culprits within are lighting, heating, refrigeration and catering - all of which would be dramatically cut if the businesses switched to an online base. According to the carbon trust the retail industry accounts for 7% of the UK's entire construction energy usage. The moral question we need to ask here is - 'Is our current retail sector model sustainable if the whole world becomes equal?'

Overlooking the fact that the computer manufacturing industry has anything but a gleaming reputation in terms of environmentally responsible production, we must see the potential of this digital low energy alternative.

Construction of a new store now only requires a computer, the meetings conducted through Skype. No stacks of design plans scattered throughout the floors of a building site, just digital browser shots and PDF's. No in-store heating and lighting needed, only support from a carbon neural host. No POS offers, fresh banners, seasonal marketing or store rearrangement, just a tweak of the CSS style sheet and an update though the content management system.

The digital shopping centre not only minimises energy used in construction and transportation, and glorifies the convenience of consumption, but it also renders useless the need for over packaging as a marketing tool. The only marketing tool required here is virtual.

This end to the romanticism of weekend shopping trips to the city is inevitably radically less sociable. Maybe all of the time saved shopping online could allow for the mass take up of truly sociable and ethical activities such as volunteer work or, dare I mention, exercise.

Either way, if shopping becomes less about retail therapy, and more about need, then the future of e-commerce could be even more sustainable than imagined.

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Comments

unXPOSEd

Wed 19 Dec 2007 10:33:08 GMT

Yep... but not much else is going to survive either!

Beth

Wed 19 Dec 2007 10:28:39 GMT

"If capitalism is to survive, and sustain itself, then the death of the high street is essential."

So, if I don't want capitalism to survive or sustain itself, I should go shopping in the high street immediately?  ;)

unXPOSEd

Mon 17 Sep 2007 16:58:36 GMT

I agree as well... most online shops ARE rubbish! But I don't think they need to be, we just need to make online shops more transparent, user friendly, and greater interactive experiences. Also, great advice, although not usually the case, can be waiting down the other end of the phone.

I know we all love browsing shops for products, I definately do, but as I say in the article - we need to re-think our romantic ideals about the entire concept of shopping - see it as less of a social activity, and more of a necessity.

There are a million product/ price comparison sites - all dreadful! But the technology is there to go one better and create a virtual high street tailored to specific users needs. Admittedly this alternative will never be as personal and hands on as the high street, but for the sake of creating sustainable communities I think it's worth the sacrifice.

philwilks

Mon 17 Sep 2007 15:33:54 GMT

The problem is that most online shops are rubbish. They are hard to use, they are not transparent about their delivery costs, and there's no one hand to ask for advice.

Even the very best ones don't allow one to browse and engage with products in the same way that they do in a physical shop, and I can't see that changing much in the next five years.

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