Sustainable websites have to be real lightweights. Clean code, maximum compression, few images, even fewer videos. Sounds boring? Luckily it’s not. Good design achieves great effect even with little data, as the following seven low-carbon websites prove.
- Beyond This Point https://beyondthispoint.design/
Beyond This Point is a minimalist directory for a design studio’s podcast episodes. A mix of clean lines, smooth animations and muted colours guide us through the (rather short) user journey. Focus on the essentials.
- Cafe Cecilia https://www.cafececilia.com/
Cafe Cecilia is a restaurant in London with almost 50,000 followers on Instagram. A fixed navigation on the left edge of the screen provides orientation when scrolling, while the atmospheric content on the right side cozies up on a white and grey background. It’s got all you need.
- WholeGrain Digital https://www.wholegraindigital.com/
The website of the pioneers of sustainable web design shows flawless performance: everything is tidy, friendly, clear, understandable. Despite a few pictures, the site only produces a record-setting 0.07g CO2 per visit.
- Re-forme https://re-forme.com.au/
RE-FORME produces biodegradable packaging. The website excels with a successful choice of typography, surprising colour changes and a predictable but very pleasant arrangement of elements.
- Good Energy https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/
Even a classic corporate website can look good as a low-carbon version. And it’s even packed with images! How can this work? The right compression is key. This way, you can easily save 80-90% of the file size of images.
- The Art Center https://www.theartcenter.nyc/
Colourful, expressive, friendly – theArtCenter shows that a website doesn’t need images if it has the right choice of colours and playful shapes. The result: Only 0.25g CO2 per visit.
- Nourish https://menudurable.ca/en/
Nourish helps organisations to make their meals sustainable. Their site utilizes the entire colour spectrum – and thus refers to their culinary diversity. Animated geometric shapes and simple illustrations add visual interest.
