Adpative Path has a thought provoking post about using design to communicate otherwise hidden social and environmental costs.

Jennie Winhall’s talk at MX on Designing for Social Good has made me think about ways that we, as user experience designers, could use our understanding of psychology and behavior to develop creative and positive solutions that help people see hidden costs and make better decisions. Some examples…



Grouchy experience: Big warning sign featuring fines you’ll receive if you dump toxic waste into a storm drain.

Positive experience: Design storm drains to look like fish. You wouldn’t want to dump junk on a cute fish.

Not haven driven for almost two months (after my car was totaled and we decided to give FlexCar a try), I’ve been amazed at the increased quality of life—lower stress, more time for productive thought, lower costs, more walking—and less risk that I’ll be seriously injured by a guy running a red light.

I wonder how that would be communicated graphically?