BeFungi
An educational platform that encourages junior designers to design sustainably.
Project Type
Duration
Methods
Tools
Problem
The environmental impact of digital products is growing rapidly, yet many junior designers lack awareness of sustainable practices. Befungi addresses this by helping them understand and reduce their digital carbon footprint.
Solution
Befungi is an educational platform that uses gamification and a fungi-inspired metaphor to teach sustainability. It guides users through curated content and visualizes their learning journey via a progress-tracking system.
Impact
The platform encourages sustainable design habits without compromising creativity. Future iterations will expand accessibility and community collaboration to further support junior designers.
PROBLEM
Digital technologies now account for a share of global carbon emissions.
reaching up to 5%.
Digital design plays a part in this impact,
but many designers are unaware of it.
and those who are often
do not know what to do.
Most junior designers are unaware that their design decisions contribute
to digital carbon emissions.
Those who want to design sustainably struggle to find practical,
accessible methods they can apply in their daily workflow.
Existing sustainability resources feel complex, academic or overwhelming,
which prevents designers from engaging and building long-term habits.
OBJECTIVES
User Goal
Enable junior designers to learn digital sustainability in a motivating and approachable way, without feeling overwhelmed.
Product Goal
Integrate sustainable thinking into designers’ daily workflows without disrupting creativity or efficiency.
Success Metrics
Measure engagement through content completion, progress tracking on MyFungi, and increased confidence in applying sustainable design practices.
RESEARCH
Lina — Primary User
Junior UX Designer | 1 year
Goals
Design more sustainably
Understand impact without slowing down
Pain Points
Doesn’t know where to start
Sustainability feels complex
Mark — Secondary User
Mid-level Digital Designer | 3–6 years
Goals
Work efficiently
Apply practical, relevant knowledge
Pain Points
Sees sustainability as extra effort
Low tolerance for academic content
Insight 01 – Learning style
87.5% of participants identified as visual learners, while only 37.5% preferred text-based content.
Insight 02 – Motivation
59.1% stated that progress tracking is crucial for staying motivated.
Insight 03 – Social effect
Survey results showed that motivation is not only individual but also social, with participants indicating that peer behavior and support influence their engagement with sustainability.
DESIGN APPROACH/GOALS
Goals
Work efficiently
Apply practical, relevant knowledge
Goals
Work efficiently
Apply practical, relevant knowledge