Hi there,
This is the thirty eighth edition of D&T Special, a more in-depth view of topics that interest the Canvs team. Today’s topic – How digital products are designing for the heating planet.
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✍️ From the Canvs Research & Editorial Desk
As the planet continues to heat up, we’re forced to revisit how digital products are imagined, built, and used. Well-designed digital products can nudge people towards lower-impact choices and reduce the overall carbon footprint. But that shift has to start at the design table.
This week the Canvs R&E team has spent some time pondering this concept, let’s dive into some details.
Most teams don’t set out to build wasteful products. But without intention, that’s often where they end up. Auto-play, oversized visuals, always-on sync, these aren’t just UX choices. They come with an energy cost. The best digital products today are being designed with that in mind.
Key takeaways from this read:
1. Design the default to be sustainable
Swiggy and Zomato’s opt-out for cutlery isn’t a big feature, but it’s a meaningful one. By designing the more sustainable choice as the default, these platforms reduce waste at scale, without depending on users to make the “right” choice every time. It’s a simple UI tweak with long-term impact.
2. Build interfaces that visualise impact
Tools like Ecosia and Too Good To Go turn invisible actions into visible outcomes—trees planted, meals rescued. These products aren’t just efficient; they’re motivating. By making impact part of the user interface, they build loyalty around purpose, not just utility.
3. Solve for waste, not just convenience
Too Good To Go and Olio are built around the idea that excess—whether food or goods—doesn’t have to end up in landfills. Their products don’t just connect users with what’s available, they make the act of rescuing feel accessible and useful. Designing with waste in mind opens up new value, both for users and the planet.
📰 In other news
✨ Product find of the week
Moss is a visual workspace for creatives that keeps your files, references, and work-in-progress in sync, without the mess of exporting, sourcing, or versioning. It’s collaborative by default, tool-agnostic, and built to keep you in flow from sketch to final output.
Some highlights from the past month of D&T
And that’s the lot! Thanks for checking out what we had to share with you this week, we shall catch up with you next Wednesday. Incase you aren’t subscribed to the newsletter, you could subscribe here.
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