4 strategies to improve a products eco-friendliness without losing usability.I have been bummed by the decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. Climate change is real (and scary), and this treaty committed countries to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And as an individual, it feels I cant do anything to stop the harm being done to theplanet.When you think of greenhouse gas emissions, you probably think of harsh manufacturing plants and how reliant we are on plastics (especially in the UnitedStates).But do you also think of internet emissions?Ive always thought the digitization era was good for the environment with less physical waste and better resource management. But a lot goes into powering the internet and our digital products. Internet emissions are all-encompassing data centers, servers, devices, and power sources needed to load web-pages, store documents, or even checkemails.I didnt know how much the UX design industry contributes to internet emissions until I read Tom Greenwoods Sustainable WebDesign.UX designers want to create usable, efficient, and visually-appealing experiences so users continue to use our product more and more. But in reality, were just exacerbating the contributions to internet emissions. Our goals are not only to help users complete a task, but to get them to click more, consume more content, and spend more time in theproduct.This more, more, and more mindset is causing the average page weight to increase annually. According to the Web Almanac, the median page weight on desktop was 1080 KB in 2014, and increased to 2170 KB in 2022over 100% increase in 8 years. A heavier page weight requires more data transfer, also requiring more energy toload.Web Almanacs median page weight over time between 2014 to2022We have a dilemmado we continue to increase our engagement metrics for our products and intensify internet emissions? Or do we decrease engagement to lessen emissions, but lose ourjobs?There are strategies all UX designers can use (other than just stopping UX design altogether) to improve a products eco-friendliness without losing usabilitymaintaining user engagement and keeping stakeholders happy. Lets review these 4 strategies below, then look at real-world examples of these strategies being practiced.Table ofcontents4 strategies for sustainable designReduce medias energy consumptionDesign for low data consumptionOptimize userjourneysEncourage sustainable userbehaviorReal-world examplesNetflixAppleWebsite examples4 strategies for sustainable design1. Reduce medias energy consumptionI. Apply efficient fileformatsUse WebP format forimagesUse MP4 (H.264) format forvideosUse system fonts (like Arial) or WOFF2 format for webfontsII. Load content only whenneededUse lazy loading to load content when they become visible in the usersviewportDont auto-play videos or animations unless triggered by the user (I.E., user selects Play or Submitbuttons)Use tools like Pixelied to adapt images into web-optimized fileformats2. Design for low data consumptionI. Prioritize contentLimit videos and animations (they have the largest filesizes)Provide different resolutions for media to allow the users browser to select the most suitable size for the users device and connectionUse dark mode by default (have the user swap to light mode, ifoffered)II. Reduce customUIBuild and use design systems for reusable UI components andpatternsAvoid UX fads that are short-lived and will require a redesign lateronUse design systems, such as Atlassian, to recycle UI components throughout a digitalproduct3. Optimize userjourneysI. Reduce userstepsUse clear navigation and heading structure so users can easily find needed informationreducing unnecessary pageloadsMinimize user clicks and page loads by consolidating multi-step processes into fewer input fields orpagesII. Create mindful experiencesAdd intentional delays to the users journey (I.E., ask them if they want to continue after spending a certain amount of time in theproduct)Use caching to temporarily store copies of the web-page content to reduce HTTP requestsoptimizing page loadspeedsPatagonias navigation menu prioritizes intuitiveness and hierarchyallowing easy find-ability4. Encourage sustainable userbehaviorI. Offer sustainable optionsSuggest a Low-data mode or Eco mode for users to toggle on or label media that requires more energy for transparencyDisplay estimated energy savings to reinforce the users decision to choose low-data modes or simplified website experiencesII. Prompt users to takeactionMake it easy for users to identify and delete old files or messages taking up server or devicestorageEducate users with information to raise awareness about the products decision to prioritize web sustainabilityAvrils website includes a toggle for Low energy mode with an information tooltipadjacentReal-world examples1. NetflixNetflix includes their infamous Are you still watching? feature, which adds an intentional pause in the user continuing to consume their content (though it feels judgemental when youre binge watching).Netflix only offers a dark mode color paletteenhancing its visual appeal and sustainability efforts.Netflix recognizes its carbon footprint due to being a video-streaming service, and has a target to reduce their emissions by roughly half by2030.Netflix began caching content closer to their end-users and improving server hardware to reduce data transfer by 30% between 2018 and 2021decreasing overall energy consumption.Netflixs Are you still watching? feature adds a pause to the usersjourney2. AppleApple includes a Low data mode in the settings for iOS 13 that reduces background activity and video streamingdecreasing data transfers. This benefits users who are in low-connectivity areas as well as users who need to save on cellular datausage.Apple has environmental initiatives with Apple 30, which will bring their net emissions to zero by 2030. Though Apple is evolving both their hardware and software, they implemented the Supplier Clean Energy Program to reduce overall emissions.Apple provides a Low data mode option in the settings for Cellular dataoptions3. WebsiteexamplesC40 Cities: Their website redesign reduced their CO2 output from 6.7g to 0.34g per homepageview.Impact Management Platform: Their website only uses 0.19g of CO2 per homepage view while maintaining quality and performance.Good Energy: Their website is powered by 100% renewable energy and each homepage view uses 0.58g ofCO2.C40 Citys website; examples via RyteMagazineClimate change is happening, and the internets emissions heavily contribute to it. A lot goes into powering the internet, from data centers to our individual devices, but there is a large dependency on UX design that determines how sustainable (or not) a certain digital productis.Are the file formats efficient? Do videos and unnecessary content load automatically? Are users prompted to act more sustainably while using theproduct?All these questions can influence a products eco-friendliness without detracting its usability or visual appeal, but its up to UX designers to ensure its advocated for and implemented. By using strategies like designing for low data consumption and optimizing user journeys, products can reap the benefits of lowering their energy consumption and giving users faster and effective experiences.Instead of the standard more, more, and more approach found in UX design, lets implement an intentional mindset to design for sustainability while maintaining an ideal experience for ourusers.If you havent read Tom Greenwoods Sustainable Web Design, I highly recommend it!Can we actually design for sustainability? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If youve been meaning to try a VPN but keep putting it off because of price tags and commitment anxiety, this Surfshark deal might break your cycle. StackSocial is offering a three-year subscription to the Surfshark VPN Starter Plan for $83.99, but with code SURF20, it drops to $67.20 through today, March 27. Thats about $1.86 per month, which is a serious markdown compared to Surfsharks heavily discounted $59.13 per year. The catch is that its for new users only, but if you qualify, its one of the cheapest ways to get solid privacy tools without skimping on performance.This isnt one of those starter plans thats stripped down to the bone: You still get AES-256 encryption (the stuff banks use), a kill switch for emergencies, and unlimited device connections, which means you can throw it on your phone, laptop, tablet, smart TVgo wild. Theres CleanWeb to block ads and malware, a cookie pop-up blocker, and even a tool called Bypasser so you can keep your bank app running normally while everything else goes through the VPN. The speeds are promising, too, thanks to upgraded 10 Gbps servers and support for WireGuard and OpenVPN protocols. You can access over 3,200 servers in 65 countries, so streaming or checking content abroad should be smooth.Still, there are a couple of things to note. This deal only gets you access to Surfsharks Starter plannot Surfshark One, which bundles in extras like antivirus and breach alerts. Also, if you forget to redeem the code within 30 days, you'll only get store credit instead of a refund. But for anyone mostly looking to bypass geo-restrictions, dodge trackers, and stop websites from following them around the internet, this is a good pick, especially considering you can set it up on FireTV, Linux, Chrome, and all the usual suspects.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Amazon's spring sale is halfway done, and we've done some work to single out the best deals available, but many other retailerslike Target and Best Buyhave been going tit for tat, matching prices and spinning up aggressive deals of their own. Amazon's ongoing buy-two-get-one-free sale closely resembles the same one from Target, each offering mix-and-match bundles of books, vinyls, and DVDs at discounted prices. Here's how each sale works, along with a few of the best items worth highlighting from both Target and Amazon. Sunrise on the Reaping (A Hunger Games Novel) (The Hunger Games) $19.59 at Amazon $27.99 Save $8.40 Get Deal Get Deal $19.59 at Amazon $27.99 Save $8.40 Hunger Games Box Set (Deluxe Edition with Stenciled Edges) (The Hunger Games) $36.74 at Amazon $69.96 Save $33.22 Get Deal Get Deal $36.74 at Amazon $69.96 Save $33.22 A Court of Thorns and Roses at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal at Amazon The Hobbit Illustrated by the Author: Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien (Tolkien Illustrated Editions) $37.03 at Amazon $75.00 Save $37.97 Get Deal Get Deal $37.03 at Amazon $75.00 Save $37.97 The Lord of the Rings Illustrated (Tolkien Illustrated Editions) $47.49 at Amazon $90.00 Save $42.51 Get Deal Get Deal $47.49 at Amazon $90.00 Save $42.51 Wicked: The Soundtrack[2 LP] $29.33 at Amazon $39.98 Save $10.65 Get Deal Get Deal $29.33 at Amazon $39.98 Save $10.65 Akira - Movie - Steelbook [4K UHD] $24.96 at Amazon $34.98 Save $10.02 Get Deal Get Deal $24.96 at Amazon $34.98 Save $10.02 Led Zeppelin IV $23.62 at Amazon $24.98 Save $1.36 Get Deal Get Deal $23.62 at Amazon $24.98 Save $1.36 The Dark Side of the Moon (50th Anniversary Remaster) $29.99 at Amazon $32.98 Save $2.99 Get Deal Get Deal $29.99 at Amazon $32.98 Save $2.99 SEE 6 MORE The prices for the books, vinyls, and DVDs are virtually the same at both retailers, but each store may have different items in stock. For both retailers, you can mix and match the different types of itemsin other words, you could get one book, one vinyl, and one movieso get creative. Here are the links to each category to help you decide what items to throw in your cart.Amazon's saleBooksDVDsVinyls/CDsThe Amazon items must be shipped together in a single order to receive the discount. You also don't need to be a Prime Member to get the deal (but you'll have to pay $6.99 for shipping).Target's saleBooksDVDs (movies and TV shows)Vinyls/CDsFor Target, you can buy these products in person or online. You must add all three items to the cart to see the discount at checkout, and you must be a Target Circle member (which is free). The cheapest item of the three will be the free one. The Best Amazon Spring Sale Deals You Can Get Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Ecobee Smart Thermostat Enhanced $169.00 (List Price $189.99) soundcore by Anker Q30 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones with Multiple Modes, Hi-Res Sound, Custom EQ via App, 40H Playtime, Comfortable Fit, Bluetooth Headphones, Multipoint Connection $55.99 (List Price $79.99) Blink Mini 2 (White, 2-Pack) $37.99 (List Price $69.99) 2024 Apple iPad mini A17 Pro chip, Built for Apple Intelligence, Wi-Fi 128GB - Blue $399.00 (List Price $499.00) Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm, Black, S/M 130-180mm, Sports Band) $299.00 (List Price $399.00) Sonos Era 100 Wireless Speaker - White $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Fire TV Stick 4K Max Streaming Player With Remote (2023 Model) $39.99 (List Price $59.99) Fitbit Inspire 3 Health & Fitness Tracker (Midnight Zen/Black) $69.95 (List Price $99.95) Roku Express 4K+ HDR Streamer with Voice Remote $29.85 (List Price $39.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team

If you've been contemplating an E Ink tablet, one of our top picks has received a good discount thanks to Amazon's Spring Sale. The second-gen Kindle Scribe is on sale for $325, down from $399 that's a 19 percent discount. Digital notebooks like the Scribe can give you the convenience of a connected device with the old-school feel of writing with pen and paper. The new Amazon Kindle Scribe received an 86 in our review thanks to its nice design, AI enhancements and excellent reading and writing experience. It also comes with a Premium Pen that has a rubberized top to symbolize an eraser. Our biggest quip was its cost, but that's somewhat less concerning thanks to this discount. The Scribe isn't the only Kindle discounted for the Amazon Spring Sale. You can grab the Kindle Colorsoft for $225 right now, which is 20 percent off its usual going rate. If you've been keen on getting a Kindle with a color display so you can better read comics, manga and the like, the Colorsoft is your only option. We enjoyed the colors that the screen can produce, plus its a zippy ereader a handy auto-adjusting front light and a solid 32GB of storage. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-kindle-deals-the-second-gen-scribe-drops-to-a-record-low-price-153010490.html?src=rss

Amazon's Big Spring Sale may be aimed at apparel and outdoor goods more than electronics, but weve managed to dig up a few actually decent tech deals anyway. If youre specifically looking for a new Apple device, good news: A handful of AirPods, iPads, Apple Watches, Macs and Beats devices are at or near their lowest prices to date. Many of these discounts arent explicitly tied to the sale, but if youre just trying to save some cash, that shouldnt matter much. Weve rounded up the best Spring Sale Apple deals we could find below. As a reminder, Amazon says the event will run through March 31, and you don't need to be a Prime member to access the offers below. Best Amazon Spring Sale Apple deals Apple AirPods 4 with ANC for $149 ($30 off MSRP): This version of the AirPods 4 is nearly identical to the base model, only it supports active noise cancellation and comes with a wireless charging case. It also supports other listening modes like Adaptive Audio, and that case can tap into Apples Find My tracking network if you ever misplace it. The ANC isnt as effective as what you can get with a pair that fully seals off the ear canal, but it makes the earbuds a little more useful in noisy environments all the same. We gave the device a score of 86 in our review. This discount is $11 higher than the best price weve seen, but its about as low as the earbuds have fallen outside of that. Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apples best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid, though their six-hour battery life still isnt the best, and you should only get them if youre all-in on Apple hardware. If thats the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide. We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then. Also at Best Buy. The Apple Watch Series 10. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Apple Watch Series 10 for $299 ($100 off): The top pick in our guide to the best smartwatches, the Series 10 is a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer profile and a marginally larger display compared to the previous Series 9. That said, it remains a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices. It should be a welcome upgrade if youre looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch (think pre-Series 7) just keep in mind a patent dispute has locked it out the blood oxygen detection features found on those older models. This $100 discount matches the lowest price weve seen for the non-cellular model with a 42mm case. Also at Best Buy and Walmart. Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro) for $1,199 ($200 off): It's still not cheap, but here's the lowest price we've seen for this higher-spec configuration of the latest Mac mini, which includes an M4 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. This specific model is overkill for casual users, but it should be a decent buy for those with more professional needs who want a compact Mac but cant spring for the top-end Mac Studio. We gave the Mac mini a score of 90 in our review last November, praising its performance, pint-sized design and port selection, though it can get noisy under load and it still lacks an SD card reader. Also at B&H. If you do only need a desktop for basic tasks, the entry-level model with a standard M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD has also dropped back to $499. That $100 discount matches the best price weve tracked. The M4 Pro Mac mini. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Apple iPad (A16) for $329 ($20 off): The newest entry-level iPad only arrived three weeks ago, but Amazon is currently selling it for $20 less than Apple direct, which is a decent little savings if you planned on grabbing the tablet early anyway. This one is another small update, but it now comes with a faster A16 chip, more RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. It earned a score of 84 in our review if you only need an iPad for media consumption and lighter work, it's still a fine value. Also at B&H and Best Buy. Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) for $549 ($50 off): Much like the deal on the base iPad above, this isnt a huge discount, but its a nice chance to save a few bucks compared to buying from Apple directly. The new iPad Air was released on the same day as the iPad (A16) and is a similarly minor update; the only big addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still prefer the Air over the base model if you can swing it: Its display is more color-rich and better at fending off glare, its speakers are more robust, it works with Apples best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. The older M2-powered model is an even better value if you can find it on sale, but either way the Air is the iPad we recommend to most people. Also at B&H, Best Buy and Walmart. The 13-inch iPad Air M3. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) for $738 ($61 off): We gave the 13-inch iPad Air a review score of 89 earlier this month. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart; otherwise, the two slates are the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for taking in movies and multitasking for work. This is the lowest price weve seen for the 128GB model. Also at Walmart. Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $1,099 ($200 off): The iPad Pro is more tablet than most people need, but its the ultimate iPad for those who can stomach its price tag. Its wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best weve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything youd ever do on an iPad. Its also the only Apple tablet with Face ID, plus it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it a score of 84 in our review, with the only real drawback being how expensive it all is. This deal on doesnt truly lessen that and its another deal weve seen multiple times in recent months but it still ties the 13-inch models all-time low. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-apple-deals-save-up-to-200-on-airpods-ipads-watches-and-more-092050860.html?src=rss

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The studio delivered 80 shots across the 4 eps, including invisible reflection and shadow removals, environment clean-ups, and helping to enable that camera through the window shot.Watch the breakdown here at Absolutes site.The post Watch Absolutes VFX breakdown for the one-shot Adolescence series appeared first on befores & afters.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.When I was 12 years old, my parents enrolled me in a kids coding class at the YMCA. This was 1983before the internettyping code from magazines like Compute! into a computer with a green-on-black screen and seeing what it did. And the experience would go on to shape the course of my life.Ive been in software for more than 30 years, most of them at Intuit. I started there as a software engineer in 1999 and today am its chief technology officer. In that time, so much has changed about this professionfrom the way we mentor to the way we code. Today, agentic AI technology can take high-level directions, look at an existing code base, pull in the right set of data, do a web search to look at the current ecosystem, and then plan out and perform a sequence of actions normally expected from a junior engineer. This provides a true end-to-end done-for-you experience. Put simply, I can see why people might feel like everything is changing for software engineers.But even in this fast-changing field, there are throughlines. I may not be working in BASIC on the same Apple 2E from coding camp, but the foundational skills that help me break down complex problems, ask the right questions, and code durable solutions are as important as theyve always been. No one needs me to describe how this industry has changed. Instead, here are three things that havent.1. The why is as important as the howStrategic thinking has long been part of a software engineers job, to go beyond coding to building. Working in service of a larger purpose helps engineers develop more impactful solutions than simply coding to a set of specifications. With the rise in AI-assisted codingand, thus, the ability to code and build much fasterthe why remains at the forefront. We drive business impact by delivering measurable customer benefits. And you have to understand a problem before you can solve it with code.As machines tackle the parts of the job that deliver relatively standard pieces of a solution, the other part of an engineers rolethat of a cognitive architecttakes on new weight. The key differentiator lies in the ability to effectively use AI to augment human capabilities. Time previously spent on routine coding tasks can now be devoted to strategic decisions, allowing engineers who are just starting out to practice critical thinking skills earlier in their careers and offering seasoned engineers more opportunities to leverage their expertise for competitive advantage.2. Curiosity is keyThe best engineers are inherently curious, with an eye for detail and a desire to learn. Through the decades, that hasnt really changed; a learning mindset continues to be important for technologists at every level. Ive always been curious about what makes things tick. As a child, I remember taking things apart to see how they worked. I knew I wanted to be an engineer when I was able to put them back together again.The continuous advancement of technology makes it impossible for the day-to-day work of a junior engineer to look the same year over year. In the 1980s, an entry-level coder might have been tasked with writing simple programs in assembly language, but by the 90s this was made nearly obsolete by higher-level languages like C++. Similarly, in the early 2000s, we needed humans to manually parse and clean large files, and by the 2010s we could automate data cleaning with scripting and ETL tools.AI may be exponentially accelerating the pace of change in our day-to-day work, but those who enter the field with curiosity and a hunger to make things more efficient, effective, and intuitive will continue to find success, even as the way they apply that curiosity continues to shift.3. Leadership skills arent just for managersNot every great coder aspires to be a people leader; I certainly didnt. I was introverted growing up. But as I worked my way up at Intuit, I saw firsthand how the right leadership skills could deepen my impact, even when I wasnt charged with leading anybody. Ive seen how quick decision making, holistic problem solving, and efficient delegation can drive impact at every level of an organization. And these assets only become more important as we fold AI into the process.Communication skills, for example, have taken on new significance. When we convey all the relevant information needed for a counterpart to provide an adequate responsewhether its a colleague, a customer, or AIwe reach better outcomes faster. Its always been critical to understand the context around a problem in order to choose and code the right solution. But engineers now need to be able to adequately explain that context to AI in a clear, direct way to efficiently delegate portions of their work, in order to leverage AI to operate more efficiently and increase productivity internally. At Intuit, we see up to 40 percent faster coding using generative AI code assistants. Communication skills are key in getting these outcomesand, as a resultdriving faster innovation for customers.AI is changing the trajectory of software engineering. And as long as we continue to practice the foundational skills our industry was built on, it will be as rewarding and exciting a career in the future as it was for me 30 years ago.Alex Balazs is CTO at Intuit.