Image courtesy of Modern Moulds and Tools Ltd. Used with permission.

and design teams. These six choices complement one another in their diverse qualities and approaches. Through these critiques we hope to illustrate some of the different ways in which designers have begun to promote energy conservation in use, with the goal of teasing out implications that may eventually contribute to the formation of a critical design framework.

As a starting point, we have loosely structured the critiques around five interaction qualities/ criteria, which are well-known concepts used in designing or evaluating designs within the HCI and interaction-design lit-

erature. We believe each interaction quality has potential value for designing to promote sustainability in use, and so we have framed the following open-ended questions to serve as impetus for criticism:

• Persuasion. Does the product encourage formation of conservation goals and help users attain these goals by providing motivational cues and incentives?

• Usefulness and Usability. Does the product encourage sustainable behaviors by making them easier, more convenient, and integrated with useful functionality?

• Aesthetics. Does the product offer aesthetic value, such as pleasure, engagement, etc., that encourages sustainable interaction?

• Symbolic Value. Does the product come to serve as a symbol of personal values and meaning, which encourages sustainable interactions?

• Potential for Critical Reflection. Does the product stimulate critical reflection and discussion about issues related to energy and sustainability?

The following six critiques

 The EcoEye home energy monitor

Image courtesy of Belkin International,

Inc. Used with permission.

 The Belkin Conserve power strip

Image courtesy of Potenco, Inc. Used with permission.