Did you know that you could design behavioral change by eliminating choice, using the Ladder of Intervention as your main model?
Or, perhaps you’ve wanted to try co-design, and you’ve been looking for a guide with tips and frameworks for this community-based practice – something like the Beyond Sticky Notes book?
Have you also tried using the Sustainable UX Canvas as a strategic tool designed to help you embed sustainability directly into your digital experiences?
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These are just a fraction of the SUX Resource Collection. Curious for more? Dive into this library of ~200 tools, methods, frameworks, books, articles, interviews, studies, reports, patterns, cards, newsletters, podcasts, workshops, whitepapers, templates, and more.
You might also be pleased to hear that we’ve gone through a major update of the collection to make the information about each of the resources available up front and easily accessible to everyone. Here, we’ll walk through what’s changed, why, and what lies ahead.
The Backstory
The SUX Resource Collection gathers the resources on sustainable and responsible UX design that we’ve collected or created to support the main mission of the SUX Network: “Making sustainability the default in all product design processes.”
It’s created with help and contributions from our beloved community of designers, UX practitioners, and sustainability professionals alike. Developed to help us all succeed on our Sustainable UX journeys.
The challenge: Some of the resources in the collection have the info accessible out front, while others hold the information hidden behind the “27 more properties” button on the Notion page. It could be one click too many, and people might walk away without finding the valuable information or learning about the useful tools.
The solution: Move through the collection, and make sure all of the resources have images, links, and descriptions up front. Add a brief note on why it’s important, too. Plus, a table with the relevant information for a quick overview. Deal? Deal.
The Updates
Soon after we agreed upon the scope of the update, I entered the resources database.
And when I say “we”, I mean Thorsten Jonas, Founder of the SUX Network, and myself, a SUX Network Contributor. Together, we pulled through this update 💪
The goal was to make sure each of the resources has easily approachable information:
- An image, a link, a short description (covering the basics)
- A brief note on why it’s helpful (optional, but provides value; so it’s included)
- A table for an accessible overview (additional info for a wider context)
Since Thorsten had already begun with the updates, I started from the middle.
First on my list: Planetary-Centric Design Framework. Gabriela Lucia Lorenz and Betina Mazzarino have developed this framework as a tool for designers, founders, and investors to better understand their project’s impact. Ooh, interesting! Let me learn more about it.
Next up: Imperfect Design for a Better Future. In this article for the Branch magazine, Thorsten Jonas writes about how we should shift from achieving perfection to designing in balance with surrounding ecosystems and what we can learn from nature on this journey. Yes, I read the article on the spot. And, yes, I then spent an hour or two reading through other Branch issues. Super insightful!
Then: How to Sell Sustainable UX. In this eBook, Stefanie Kruse offers strategies to convince teams, clients, and stakeholders to start applying the principles of responsible design. I’m intrigued, I think to myself as I read through + open a handful of new tabs to explore this further.
Fast forward, and there’s Bruce Mau, offering 24 massive change (MC24) design principles to overhaul the way we think about our life and work. Because practically everything we do today needs to change. But how do we change everything? This book might be a good start.
You get the picture 🤓 This was pretty much what it looked like for me while I was going through the updates, and I loved every second of it! I felt super inspired, learned a ton, and expanded my views on the topics of sustainable, responsible, and ethical design. Plus, completed the task at hand, of course. Mission accomplished ✔️
The final look of the updates? Here’s an overview of the above-mentioned examples.
The Collection
By now, you could have grasped the value and the vastness of this collection. It’s huge. But is it also overwhelming? You’re not even sure where to begin? Let me guide you through for the best of your experience.
Start with the basics
These articles will set the foundation for your future exploration of the resources.
→ What is SUX – you’ll learn about the basic mindset of sustainable UX
→ The 11 principles of Sustainable UX – you’ll get the foundational 10+1 principles
When ready to go in for more, you’ll find other resources related to sustainable and responsible UX design that might help with your work.
Explore the tools we’ve developed
Part of the collection work is also creating the SUX Playbook, where we’ll provide a set of proprietary tools, mixed with practical hands-on tips and descriptions on how to incorporate sustainable UX into your work.
Some of the newest SUX Playbook tools include:
- SDG Mapping Workshop: A full template for a Sustainable Development Goals workshop
- SDG Mapping Canvas: A template for an SDG mapping activity, which is a central part of the aforementioned workshop
- Responsible AI Canvas: A canvas to evaluate any AI use case in terms of its sustainability and ethical implications
Until the Playbook is complete, we invite you to browse through other resources based on your needs, wants, and interests.
Find exactly what you need
Check out these different views and categories for a more efficient browsing.
→ All Resources Sorted by Type: This is where you can find the right tool for your situation and context. Looking for Articles, Books, Talks, Podcasts, Courses, Toolkits, or Case Studies? You name it, we’ve got it.
→ Practical Resources by Design Phase: In this section, you’ll find resources sorted by typical steps in the design process – from Strategy and Discovery, through Definition and Ideation, coming to Information Architecture and UI Design, to Testing and Analysis.
→ Specific SUX Resources: This section shows the tools that make up the SUX Playbook, published by the SUX Network so far.
→ Newly Added Resources: The latest resources that have been added to the collection. Here, you’ll find an article on Gen AI, a book on Usability for the World, an Eco-Design Guide for Digital Services, and more.
The Future
Speaking of the newly added resources, the SUX Resource Collection is not a one-and-done project. It’s a living and breathing entity, and it will continue to grow as we add new items.
Are there any valuable resources you’d love to see added? Bring them on 🎉
Here are a few ways you can contribute to the collection.
- You know of – or you’ve created – a valuable resource? Submit the Resources form.
- You know about – or you’re organizing – an event we’d love? Submit the Events form.
- You’d like to share the gems you’ve found, discuss topics, exchange knowledge, or just come in and say hi? See you in Slack.
If you have any feedback, ideas, or contributions, please let us know. Get in touch via email, LinkedIn, Slack, or any other way you’d like. Thank you!
SUX Network is built for the community and with the community. Let’s keep growing 💚
Nadja Bozovic is a writer, editor, and strategist with 10+ years of experience across fields and formats. As a UX enthusiast and an advocate for accessible and sustainable web, she’s been immersed in the SUX topics, and she’s always curious for more – more knowledge, more hands-on experience, more impact. That’s why being a SUX Ambassador and a SUX Network Contributor suits her so perfectly ✨
