Design Frugally

28. Use multimedia wisely

Why does it matter?

3D animations, videos, audio, and images are among the most energy-intensive content to store, transfer and load on user devices (CPU and memory usage). More video or audio content does not necessarily translate into better business performance or customer experience. They are hard to scan, aren’t search-friendly, aren’t always accessible, take up more storage space, and can quickly become outdated. The spread of access to 5G has led to a growth in the energy consumption in general, so we need to use media only when it complements your user experience or business objectives. Besides that, not everyone has access to 5G, so your products should not rely on 5G for a good customer experience.

What can I do?

Question if multimedia is necessary for the customer experience
Reduce usage of autoplay for videos and audio content and find creative ways to display this kind of content
Avoid decorative and background videos
Avoid animations and 3D
Use shorter videos
Display file size and related carbon impact before offering the option to download and offer different versions (light, medium, original size)
Encourage users to play media or download files when connected to wired or wireless internet. This approach is less energy-intensive than using 5G and helps reduce smartphone obsolescence due to battery usage.
Optimize multimedia files

What does success look like?

🧑 Streamlined product performance, exemplified by faster load times
💰 Optimization leading to reduced cloud expenditure

Things to consider

To improve the user experience and achieve better business results, it is important to prioritize content that provides value to users and supports the narrative of your page or user journey. Challenge any multimedia that is not critical or does not directly impact your KPIs. Before adding any multimedia files, ask yourself the following questions:

Does this content genuinely add value for the user? If so, why?
Does it convey useful information?
Could the same effect be achieved using typography or a more energy-efficient vector graphic?
Is there a way that someone who can’t access the multimedia files can still understand the information and use the product? It is also important to educate teams about the environmental impact of multimedia, so this effort is not solely yours but shared by the entire organization. To create this shared understanding, objectives and commitment from your squad, we recommend you Include the planet in your brief.