Spilltime: Designing for the relationship between QS, CO2e and climate goals

Abstract

In order to deal with major climate challenges, different climate goals have been set. These goals are on an abstract, political level, making them difficult to understand for citizens. This is a problem, since in order to reach a sustainable society, all layers in society should be involved. We present a design process, in which we made invisible carbon emission goals tangible so that citizens can relate to them. By extracting different modes of carbon footprint feedback and translating those into a network of objects, we have provided an alternative viewpoint on how to involve people into understanding complex data. By giving different modes of feedback, people can find different ways to relate to the data. This way, the designer provides the tools, but people can use it to shape their own understanding. We consider this approach relevant in empowering citizens to voice their concerns in the climate debate.