❓ CONTEXT
Whaaa… what's digital carbon footprint?
Just like physical carbon footprint, our online actions generate carbon emissions. Internet users generate 1.6 billion tons of carbon emissions annually, with email usage contributing 3 to 40 kilograms of CO2e per person—equivalent to driving a small petrol car for 10 to 128 miles (source). Due to the unawareness, many people don't clean their inboxes, making the problem worse.
👀 OVERVIEW
How to make Gmail more sustainable?
With the rapid growth of digital communication, email storage is becoming an increasing contributor to the global carbon footprint. Sadly, there's a widespread unawareness of the digital pollution we generate and the ecological impacts of our habits.
To address the problem, I led a team of four in designing new features that not only help users visualize their ecological impact but also optimize their email usage, creating a more sustainable and efficient experience.
✨ HIGHLIGHT
Introducing Gmail Greenbox
By using the new features, users can…
learn about their digital carbon footprint — through a tutorial, users will understand how their email usage contributes to carbon emissions and why reducing clutter can have a positive environmental impact.
access a personal dashboard — it allows users to visualize the ecological footprint of their inbox, giving real-time data on how their action help reduce their carbon impact.
quickly organize and clean their inbox — users can easily declutter their inbox and unsubscribe from spam email providers by a simple click, creating a more sustainable experience.
Success Metrics
97%
Task successful rate
100%
Recommendation rate
But first, let’s take a step back and retrace our path to this point
📚 RESEARCH + INSIGHTS
Users are not aware of the carbon emissions generated by their online activities.
To gain insights into user behavior and their understanding of Gmail’s environmental impact, we conducted two rounds of interviews with 12 Gmail users.
Key findings included:
Unseen ecological impact — most users were unaware of the carbon footprint generated by their online activities, particularly email storage.
Inbox overload — users often felt overwhelmed by multiple accounts, flooded with unread emails and spam.
Need for efficient cleaning tools — users expressed a strong desire for fast, effective tools to declutter and organize their inboxes, but were unsure how to do it effectively.
❓ CHALLENGE
Stuck in the negative cycle of learned helplessness.
We noticed that users are trapped in a cycle of learned helplessness, where they believe their actions won’t make a difference, so they stop trying. This lack of motivation prompted us to explore the root cause, which we believe stems from deeper human behavior patterns.
OPPORTUNITIES
Identify Our Goals
Our main goals were to help individuals …
Raise awareness of email's environmental impact
Streamline and simplify inbox cleaning
promote sustainable, long-term inbox management habits
"… how might we educate Gmail users on their email's carbon footprint while providing efficient tools to simplify inbox management and building lasting habits?
IDEATION
Defining the Scope
After brainstorming multiple concepts, our team narrowed down to the following 3 options and conducted a user survey to obtain feedback.
01. Educational website
It utilizes bite-sized videos to explain the environmental impact of emails, including external links to management tips.
This solution depends on users finding the website, which could limit its reach. Users may not be aware of it or take the initiative to visit.
02. Chrome extension Reminder
Develop a Chrome extension that prompts users to check and clean their inbox at regular intervals.
Feedback indicates that the notifications could become intrusive or annoying, leading to uninstalling the extension.
03. Gmail Interface Enhancement
Integrate educational and organizational tools directly into the Gmail interface, allowing users to learn about the environmental impact and organize emails without leaving the platform.
We decided to move forward with the third option. It allows us to leverages Gmail’s large user base, making it the most effective way to educate and assist users; it allows us to seamlessly integrate new features, providing a natural experience without requiring users to leave the platform.
WIREFRAMES
Brainstorming Potential Features
I facilitated two brainstorming sessions where my team and I developed key features to tackle user challenges and improve their email experience.
Educational slide-out panel — a built-in panel offering quick, bite-sized videos on Gmail shortcuts and insights into the environmental impact of email usage.
Smart inbox cleaner — automated tools that identify unread/spam emails, making it easier for users to declutter and unsubscribe with one click.
Pop-up reminders — notifications designed to help users build sustainable habits.
USER TESTING + ITERATION
What worked and what didn't?
To ensure our sketches are aligned with the problem space, we created mid-fi prototypes and moved forward to our first round of user-testing.
We discovered that videos may not be the most effective approach for education, as users prefer more engaging ways to receive information, rather than passively watching content.
Iteration #1 — We introduced a personal dashboard designed to inspire users to take initiative. This feature allows users to visualize their digital carbon footprint in real-time, making the impact of their actions tangible.
Feedback revealed the tutorial was too long and cognitively inefficient; users lacked the attention span for it and preferred a more direct approach. Since the tutorial offered limited value after the first read, we brainstormed for new feature.
Iteration #2 — We introduced a shortcut that allows users to mark all emails as read at once. This feature not only simplifies inbox management but also reduces email clutter, helping users save time and stay organized.
Initially, we placed the pop-up reminder at the center of the screen to ensure it was noticeable. However, user feedback revealed that it felt too much like an advertisement, leading them to dismiss or ignore it immediately.
Iteration #3 — We relocated the reminder to a less obtrusive spot, reduced its size, and allowed users to customize notification preferences. By prioritizing user control, we enable users to personalize their experience and more effectively develop sustainable habits.
MORE USER TESTING + ITERATIONS
A/B Testing
When designing the high-fi prototypes, we did a round of A/B testing on variants of the signifiers. Based on user feedback, we made several key adjustments to improve clarity and interaction.
Iteration #1 — We introduced a color overlay on hover to make clickable elements more intuitive, replacing the less informative loading indicator that lacked clear interactivity cues.
Iteration #2 — We prioritized one feature at a time and removed unnecessary information, minimizing distractions to help users complete tasks more easily.
HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
Final Prototype!
METRICS
How do we measure success and lasting change?
Success goes beyond immediate impact; it’s about fostering long-term habits. Our metrics focus on key areas such as the reduction in unread emails, user engagement with new features, and sustained inbox management.
Unread emails reduction rate — measure the percentage reduction in unread emails across all users over a set period, showing the effectiveness of the new features.
Dashboard interaction rate — measure the conversion rate of users engaging with the personal carbon footprint dashboard after the onboarding process.
Sustainable habit conversion rate — track the percentage of users who maintain regular inbox cleaning and sustainable email practices over a period.
IMPACT
Outcome: Was the prototype successful?
We presented our final prototype to 27 users and achieved a 96% first-time task success rate and a 100% recommendation rate. These results demonstrate that we successfully addressed the challenge and encouraged sustainable habits. The overwhelmingly positive feedback confirms that we met our design goals and delivered a user-friendly, impactful experience.
REFLECTION
Leverage team member's strengths — As a first-time team leader, I learned to recognize each member's strength and assign tasks accordingly. In addition, I learned how to manage conflicts, foster collaboration, and setting clear project metrics. The key takeaway is that a leader's role is not just to direct, but to empower the team to work at their best.
Importance of clear communication — I learned that reliable communication is essential for a team’s success. Without consistent updates, progress can stall, and team members may become misaligned, leading to miscommunication and potential issues. This experience taught me the value of setting clear expectations for communication, holding regular check-ins, and creating an open environment where team members feel comfortable sharing updates and concerns.
Due to time constraints, I would have conducted more rounds of user testing to further evaluate the performance of the features and assess the metrics we set earlier. In addition, I would've focused on improving team communication and collaboration to ensure a more aligned and seamless workflow throughout the project.