Quetta
A speculative project on the impact of the Internet on the environment
by , Mingzhu Fan, Bram Willems, Tessa van Abkoude, Marc Wijkmans
Climate change is arguably one of the most defining crises of our time. While it is known that sectors like aviation, transport, and agriculture massively contribute to this problem, the impact of the internet on the environment is often overlooked. The intangible nature of the internet has made its sustainability aspect challenging to grasp. This opens up opportunities for designers to make products and experiences that make this problem more tangible. Through a discursive design approach, Quetta is created. An exhibition that stimulates conversation and makes the internet and its impact on the environment less abstract and more understandable. To stimulate (the design of) thoughtful internet consumption. It consists of three exhibits. These are: (a) WiFinder; a device that can detect Wi-Fi strength and translate it into sound and vibration, (b) Shop your data; a product where you can input your data usage for a day and receive a receipt about the environment impact it has, (c) Infographic; poster about the internet infrastructure and interesting facts.
Exhibit 1 > WiFInder
To enhance individuals' awareness of the data dynamics surrounding them during their exhibition visit, a device called "WiFinder" was created. This electronic instrument utilizes an Arduino Wi-Fi module to gauge Wi-Fi signal strength. By employing a speaker and a vibration motor, it conveys signal strength through pulsations to the user. The speaker emits a higher pitch, and the vibration motor intensifies its frequency in the presence of a stronger Wi-Fi signal. Conversely, as the Wi-Fi signal weakens, the speaker produces a lower pitch, and the motor slows down its vibrations. Users can adjust the volume using a rotating knob.
Through this innovative device, people gain a heightened awareness of the energy consumption associated with internet data transmission, allowing them to investigate the ebb and flow of data intensity in their surroundings.
Exhibit 2 > Shop your data
To give the visitors a more personal experience with their data, a weight scale, thermal printer, and a website were combined into a third design. The website is an “online data shop” where people can buy their internet behaviour. Visitors first scan the QR code to go into the “online data shop”, where they will purchase their data for the next day. Visitors then add estimated usage time per website to the shopping cart. To make people associate CO2 emission with personal Internet usage, we developed a shopping website where the CO2 emissions of various websites every half hour are presented as the price. In Appendix D our calculations can be found. Going from MB to gCO2 has been done based on estimates by IEA (2021). The website redirects to a new page where users are instructed to place their mobile phones on the scale after clicking the "check out" button.
When a phone is put on the scale, the light sensor in the tray senses the change of light and triggers the thermal printer to print a receipt. The receipt shows examples of everyday things in life that produce a certain amount of CO2, making CO2 emissions less abstract and more comparable to their own data usage. In addition, three random tips on how to decrease CO2 emission when using the Internet are also included on the receipt. After the visitor has the phone back and presses the “Continue” button, the website switches to the final page, which reveals the actual number of the visitor’s carbon emissions. This design aims to help people reflect on their personal Internet behaviours. They learn how such behaviours affect the environment, encouraging them to make changes.
Exhibit 3 > Infographic
The front side of the poster gives people a brief introduction to the Internet infrastructure. It displays a world map with global data centre distribution and a storyboard to explain how the Internet functions when an Internet user watches a YouTube video in the Netherlands.
On the other side of the poster, there are some fascinating figures and facts about how much energy is consumed by the Internet, along with some practical advice for lowering energy consumption at the individual level.
With this poster in our exhibition, we educate visitors on the fundamentals of how the Internet functions and give them a notion of how polluting the system is.
With this poster in our exhibition, we educate visitors on the fundamentals of how the Internet functions and give them a notion of how polluting the system is.
My contribution
My contribution to the project has been designing and building the WiFinder, creating the style guide, and making sure the exhibition was tied together correctly. This allowed me to further improve my competence in developing high-fidelity and technological prototypes and enabled me to further develop my feel and understanding of the aesthetics of technology and interactions. Moreover, I played a central role in guiding the ideation sessions and made sure all team members were in line with the aim of the project. This has significantly improved my expertise in leadership and project management as it led me to understand what it takes to manage a project with multiple team members.