This project speculates how digital products could help users reduce the overconsumption of information and carbon emissions by examining and applying strategies from the natural world. Principles of green design are also incorporated to envision an energy-efficient mobile operating system.

By Mary Haws and Alexis Li


Today, our lives are dominated by screens, connecting us in ways never imagined before.

But as we spend more time plugged in, are we damaging the environment in the process?

The more we immerse ourselves in digital realms, the more evident the toll on our planet becomes.


How can we create sustainable interactions among humans, digital products, and the earth?

Our research questions address the overconsumption of information and carbon emission from digital products:

  • How might we help users avoid the overconsumption of information?
  • How might we reduce digital carbon emissions in everyday digital life from the use of digital products?

We biologized our research questions to ask nature how we can design better systems:

  • How does nature prevent overconsumption?
  • How does nature save energy?

We applied nature’s strategies to our designs, speculating what sustainable interactions among people, digital products, and the more-than-human world could look like.


Interested? Learn more at our presentation!

Come see our presentation during Session 1 (5:05-5:45pm) in Room 704.

Explore our slide deck.