23 Sep 2024 – Carbon aware websites
This website, my little hand-coded project, does not score very well on those digital climate calculators. Mostly because of large images, and because I never learned how to serve smaller image sizes based on device.
I’ve been thinking that I’m due a website refresh. It’s been a couple of years since this version came to being and aside from its carbon footprint, it also doesn’t reflect all the different things I get up to.
It’s going to take me a while to get around to actually doing the work because I’m in the middle of PhD applications and that already is a part-time job. But it will be a good winter project. If I say I'm going to do it in the wild (here), then I have to do it, right?
Some inspiration
- I’m especially motivated by Rod’s work and friendship. Seriously, browse his website and read everything because it is great.
- Victor’s stunning, ecologically conscious website Mater. Read about it in It’s Nice That.
- Websites like Formafantasma. They make Times New Roman and Arial look good.
- Low Tech Magazine, which goes a step further and removes the font-family declaration altogether, along with a bunch of other cool shit.
- My Are.na board for links, research and examples.
I’m already running a static site through 11ty and don’t have any analytics, but the two new requirements of a redesign will be:
- System or default typeface(s)
- Better image handling to reduce bandwidth
If you have any other ideas or examples, please share them with me.
Another internet is possible. Let’s build it.