Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Do you want to work on climate? (Climate UX Discussion Series)
Summary
The first in a series of discussions centered around Climate UX. On November 15, Rosenfeld hosted a conversation between four UX professionals who have focused their careers around climate tech work. Whether you're looking to pivot your career towards climate tech or adapt your current role to be climate focused, this panel offered valuable perspectives on what it means to work on climate. Panelists: Matt Jones, Olga Khroustaleva, Michael Leggett, Karol Munoz; Moderator, Lou Rosenfeld
Key Insights
-
•
Climate UX is an emerging but real field connecting design to urgent climate challenges.
-
•
Many climate startups are early-stage and lack formal UX roles, requiring flexible self-positioning.
-
•
Approaching climate projects by leveraging one’s existing design or product strengths, rather than forcing a new identity, works best.
-
•
User-centered design helps climate science founders who lack product development experience create usable tools.
-
•
Problem definition remains crucial but must be balanced with urgency to deliver solutions in the climate space.
-
•
Systems thinking and understanding multiple climate impact layers are a secret superpower of UX practitioners.
-
•
Effective climate communication, storytelling, and visualization accelerate stakeholder understanding and action.
-
•
Networking proactively and saying yes to diverse climate-related roles accelerates entry into the space.
-
•
Climate work can be financially viable and career-sustaining, not necessitating large sacrifices.
-
•
Bringing joy and curiosity back into work motivates sustained climate-focused design efforts.
Notable Quotes
"Climate startups are a thing, and they really need UX expertise early on."
"I just said yes to everything climate-related until I found the right fit."
"Most science founders don’t think about user-centered design, and that’s where UXers add huge value."
"Systems thinking is a secret skill UXers have that’s critical for sustainable climate solutions."
"User experience can transform complex climate data into meaningful stories that spur action."
"Every job really is a climate job—there are ways to bring climate focus into any role."
"You don’t have to be a PhD or expert to work in climate; your design skills are already valuable."
"Talking about climate openly, even if uncomfortable, is a powerful way to create change."
"Climate UX feels like 1995 again, an exciting time of discovery and cross-domain jumps."
"What if it’s all a hoax and we just invented a better world for no reason? That’s a good place to be."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Keeping something cloud-based accessible is the most complicated because of hundreds of releases per day in continuous integration."
Sheri Byrne-HaberAccessibility at Scale
June 9, 2021
"Design for emotion to create experiences that resonate beyond functionality."
Prayag Narula Hannah HudsonEmpowering Designers to do Good Research
March 11, 2022
"When I first started, I felt like I had this little superpower that nobody else really knew about."
Janelle EstesUX Research Trends
January 28, 2021
"Finding a leadership champion and building on small wins creates momentum for integrating research and content."
Craig Brookes Andreas Huebner Morgan Quinn"Just Make it Look Good" and Other Ways We're Misunderstood
June 11, 2021
"High quality personal connections mean you can engage on a level playing field with serious professionals."
Marc Fonteijn Ru ButlerIncrease your confidence, influence, and impact (through a Professional Community)
December 3, 2024
"Engagement and impact roles bring creativity and help maintain team morale in otherwise dry operations work."
Kate TowseyThe State of ResearchOps: More Than Just Theory
June 20, 2019
"Connection means feeling seen, heard, and valued; that’s what creates psychological safety."
Alla WeinbergDesign Teams Need Psychological Safety: Here’s How to Create It
September 9, 2022
"Designers contribute experimental patterns back to the design system early, making their work visible even before full validation."
Shawna Hein Kevin HoffmanCreate a Cohesive Civic Design Practice Across Agency, Vendors, and Contracts
November 17, 2022
"I've thrived on being wrong and making mistakes, even when I wasn't actually wrong."
Tricia WangSCALE: Discussion
June 15, 2018