Background
The Green Design Lab is a self-organized collective of designers, researchers, and strategists with a vision to put sustainability at the heart of what we make and do at Microsoft.
I co-lead the Green Design Lab and drive many of our programs and initiatives. Our team structure has been an open-ended experiment on how we can explore new paradigms and find more regenerative ways of working together. Our theory of change aims to put sustainability at the heart of what we make and do by transforming our mindsets and practices.
Think bigger
before your start
- Challenge the status quo
- Put care first
Build better
by default
- Optimized
- Transparent
- Adaptable
Green Design Hackathons
To further bring the principles to life, I organized and led Green Design Hackathons, which engaged over 100 participants across Microsoft. These week-long hackathons provided space for designers to explore, challenge, and dream up innovative solutions to sustainability challenges in Microsoft. One of our hackathon projects was a runner-up in Microsoft’s sustainability executive challenge and received executive recognition.
External Advocacy
Beyond internal initiatives, we extended our advocacy efforts externally, presenting to university students and conferences to generate excitement about sustainable design practices. Here's a link to a video of a keynote I co-presented to over 500 designers on our Green Design Principles.
Workshops Across Microsoft Design Community
I co-facilitated workshops across Microsoft’s global design community to build capacity and raise awareness about sustainable design practices. These workshops provided designers with tools, resources, and real-world examples to help them apply sustainability principles. They also allowed designers to exchange insights on what's worked well (and not so well) in different parts of the organization.
All We Can Save
Climate Circles
Beyond tools and workshops, I started and co-led climate circles inspired by the anthology All We Can Save. These circles focus on fostering dialogue and action for climate solutions in the workplace. I oversaw the overall program design and management with Microsoft employees from all over the world.
These climate circles were a beautiful container where we could all show up however we felt that day. There was space to laugh, cry, breathe, and learn together. We forged friendships and became accomplices in driving change from inside the company we were all a part of.
Impact and Reflection
Through the Green Design Lab, we laid the groundwork for integrating sustainability into Microsoft’s design practices. The Green Design Principles have become a resource for teams across the company. At the same time, hackathons and workshops create space to challenge the status quo and create more sustainable product experiences.
Leading this initiative has reinforced the power of collaboration and the role of the collective in creating scalable, systems-level change. I've also learned a lot about navigating change, what it means to stay true to a community's inherent values, and how to make sustainability a part of one's job description.