Discover the carbon impact of the internet (hint: it's bigger than that of entire countries and due to hit 9 billion tons of CO2 by 2020) How to design, build, and host low-carbon websites Learn behavior change techniques that can help consumers make greener choices online Attitudes and beliefs: design for audiences with diverse world-views (including those who disagree about climate change)

1. Meta-Sustainable UX:
Designing Compelling Arguments for
Low-Carbon Design
Jennifer Briselli
@jbriselli

2. the more things change…

3. 1923

4. 2016

5. 1902

6. 2016

7. 2006

8. 2016

9. the more they stay the same.
the more things change…

10. human beings are still human.

11. “”
The saddest aspect of life right
now is that science gathers
knowledge faster than society
gathers wisdom.
Isaac Asimov

13. so, the problem with science communication must be…
people are in denial
people are misinformed
people are irrational
the problem is…
 prove scientific consensus, out-reason them all!
 more facts! better education! science literacy!
 let’s just ignore them… maybe they’ll disappear.

14. …that’s not how it works.

15. Denial?

17. 24 reject global warming

21. hierarchical
egalitarian
communitarianindividualist
gun control
HPV vaccine
compulsory health
measures
evolution
climate change
nuclear power
abortion

22. “Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus”
Source: Kahan, Dan M., Jenkins-Smith, Hank and Braman, Donald, Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus (February 7, 2010). Journal of Risk Research, Vol. 14, pp. 147-74, 2011
Fictitious
“experts”
&
two versions
of each
expert’s article

23. Asked participants: “Is this a knowledgeable and credible expert on…”
respondents who
agree the author is
an expert:

24. People generally trust science;
but our perceptions of scientific expertise and
policy implications are colored by our values.
Denial

25. Misinformation?

26. “How much risk do you think climate change poses?”
perceived
risk
science literacy
egalitarian communitarian
hierarchical individualist
Prediction:
better informed
more agreement
with consensus

27. “How much risk do you think climate change poses?”
perceived
risk
science literacy
egalitarian communitarian
hierarchical individualist
Result: for some,
better educated
more polarized views
opposing consensus

28. Overcoming a knowledge deficit or debunking
misinformation doesn’t guarantee a change in
attitudes or behavior.
Misinformation

29. Irrational?

30. “All that stuff I was taught
about evolution and
embryology and the big bang
theory, all that is lies straight
from the pit of Hell.”
Rep. Paul Broun
R-GA & member the House Science Committee
2007-2015

33. There is far too much information in the world for a human to
process, so we offload some of that processing through
identity-protective (“cultural”) cognition
which prompts us to align our perceptions with trusted or
symbolic sources within our own social in-groups

35. Rationality ≠ accuracy.
Identity-protective cognition is perfectly rational. It
helps us make sense of the world, though it leads
to errant perceptions of science & risk.
Irrational

36. maybe this is a design problem

38. “”
Everyone designs who devises
courses of action aimed at
changing existing situations into
preferred ones.
Herbert Simon

43. how do you design persuasion
for people (coworkers? clients?)
who don’t already agree with you?

46. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian

47. communitarianindividualist
Interference from
outsiders limits
personal freedom.
Collective assistance
and welfare structures
hold us back.
Freedom and competition
lead to human
resourcefulness and
innovation.
People should fend
for themselves and
leave others alone.
Human interaction
and compassion are
important.
People have a
responsibility to take
care of each other.
Collaboration and
solidarity make strong,
safe communities.
Everyone should be
willing to both help and
depend on others.

48. hierarchical
egalitarian
It’s ok to acknowledge
and even emphasize
differences.
It’s ok to distribute wealth and duty
according to class or expertise.
Roles should be differentiated in a
traditional manner.
Policy and social conventions
should support traditional
hierarchies and stability.
Discrimination is harmful.
Everyone deserves equal
representation in duty and fair
distribution of wealth.
Everyone should have access;
non-traditional roles are ok.
Everyone should be allowed to
participate; diversity is good.

49. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
gun control
HPV vaccine
compulsory health
measures
evolution
climate change
nuclear power
abortion
Perceived
as Risks

50. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
most people
extreme stereotypes

51. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
What about you?

52. TL;DR

53. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
Affirming
Threatening
harsh criticism of traditional
roles & industry
unrestricted competition,
threats to social supports
interference, constraints on
personal freedoms
denial of participation,
access, status
stability, authority, expertise
collaboration,
community, stewardship
resourcefulness,
independence, privacy
equality, access, participation

54. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
Harsh criticism of traditional
roles & industry
Unrestricted competition,
threats to social supports
Interference, constraints on
personal freedoms
Denial of participation,
access, status
Avoid:

55. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
stability, authority, expertise
collaboration,
community, stewardship
resourcefulness,
independence, privacy
equality, access, participation
Highlight:

56. One More Study:
Participants read an editorial story with specific framing:
anti-pollution or geo-engineering.
Then, they all read the same neutral, statistics-based article about climate change.

57. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
“Climate change is a very real threat
to our planet and our way of life!”
“Climate change isn’t a thing.”
Usually:

58. The anti-pollution priming story accentuated conventional
anti-commerce and anti-technology themes.
Hierarchical-Individualists find these values threatening;
they discounted the statistics in the second article & expressed
even stronger climate change denial.
The geo-engineering priming story accentuated themes like
human ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit overcoming natural
limits on commerce.
Hierarchical-Individualists find these values affirming;
they accepted the statistics in the second article & expressed
stronger acceptance of climate change as a threat we should act
on.

59. Framing climate change messaging with
identity-affirming meanings
can mitigate resistance & polarization.

61. Judge less, design more.

62. Jennifer Briselli
Managing Director, Experience Design
@jbriselli
jbriselli@madpow.com
Thank You