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Design for Digital Sufficiency: Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers

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Design for Digital Sufficiency: Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers. / Gujral, Harshit; Bremer, Christina; Perera, Dushani et al.
In: ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies, 30.07.2025.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Gujral, H, Bremer, C, Perera, D & Easterbrook, S 2025, 'Design for Digital Sufficiency: Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers', ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies. https://doi.org/10.1145/3747188

APA

Gujral, H., Bremer, C., Perera, D., & Easterbrook, S. (2025). Design for Digital Sufficiency: Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers. ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1145/3747188

Vancouver

Gujral H, Bremer C, Perera D, Easterbrook S. Design for Digital Sufficiency: Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers. ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies. 2025 Jul 30. Epub 2025 Jul 30. doi: 10.1145/3747188

Author

Gujral, Harshit ; Bremer, Christina ; Perera, Dushani et al. / Design for Digital Sufficiency : Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers. In: ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies. 2025.

Bibtex

@article{693a96adacef4ae0be47be4d96a014b4,
title = "Design for Digital Sufficiency: Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers",
abstract = "Digital sufficiency, an emerging concept from the sustainable computing literature, can inform interface design to better manage and potentially reduce energy consumption in data centers, which is intensifying due to AI and data growth, despite energy efficiency efforts. Since 26% of data center energy consumption stems from cloud storage and servers, this research integrates digital sufficiency with existing HCI guidelines to enable cloud providers to respond to demands for sustainable infrastructure and facilitate user reflection. We conducted an online survey to understand users{\textquoteright} storage needs, awareness of climate impacts, and openness to sustainable storage. Our findings highlight the limited awareness among users of the carbon footprint associated with data centers and a strong demand for more sustainable storage options once they become aware. To empower users to reflect on climate impacts and align storage practices with their personal sustainability goals, we propose interface design recommendations that challenge the status quo.",
author = "Harshit Gujral and Christina Bremer and Dushani Perera and Steve Easterbrook",
year = "2025",
month = jul,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1145/3747188",
language = "English",
journal = "ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies",
issn = "2834-5533",
publisher = "Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Design for Digital Sufficiency

T2 - Understanding User Preferences for More Sustainable Data Centers

AU - Gujral, Harshit

AU - Bremer, Christina

AU - Perera, Dushani

AU - Easterbrook, Steve

PY - 2025/7/30

Y1 - 2025/7/30

N2 - Digital sufficiency, an emerging concept from the sustainable computing literature, can inform interface design to better manage and potentially reduce energy consumption in data centers, which is intensifying due to AI and data growth, despite energy efficiency efforts. Since 26% of data center energy consumption stems from cloud storage and servers, this research integrates digital sufficiency with existing HCI guidelines to enable cloud providers to respond to demands for sustainable infrastructure and facilitate user reflection. We conducted an online survey to understand users’ storage needs, awareness of climate impacts, and openness to sustainable storage. Our findings highlight the limited awareness among users of the carbon footprint associated with data centers and a strong demand for more sustainable storage options once they become aware. To empower users to reflect on climate impacts and align storage practices with their personal sustainability goals, we propose interface design recommendations that challenge the status quo.

AB - Digital sufficiency, an emerging concept from the sustainable computing literature, can inform interface design to better manage and potentially reduce energy consumption in data centers, which is intensifying due to AI and data growth, despite energy efficiency efforts. Since 26% of data center energy consumption stems from cloud storage and servers, this research integrates digital sufficiency with existing HCI guidelines to enable cloud providers to respond to demands for sustainable infrastructure and facilitate user reflection. We conducted an online survey to understand users’ storage needs, awareness of climate impacts, and openness to sustainable storage. Our findings highlight the limited awareness among users of the carbon footprint associated with data centers and a strong demand for more sustainable storage options once they become aware. To empower users to reflect on climate impacts and align storage practices with their personal sustainability goals, we propose interface design recommendations that challenge the status quo.

U2 - 10.1145/3747188

DO - 10.1145/3747188

M3 - Journal article

JO - ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies

JF - ACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies

SN - 2834-5533

ER -