Visual representation of the Internet consumption in the European Union by University of Coimbra, CISUC, DEI

The impact of internet use on the environment is a contradictory topic. This impact differs according to the reduction/increase of carbon emissions that end up affecting the environment. For example, the use of the internet can be positive, regarding smart grids, but also negative, due to e-waste.

Considering the relevance of this topic, we proposed and developed a computational artifact that aims to visually explore the impact of energy consumption. This artifact unites two areas of study: Data Aesthetics and Interaction Design. The computational artifact was exhibited in an interactive panel within the Department of Informatics, University of Coimbra (2022) and exposes the countries with lowest and highest energy consumption on the environment. The data covers the energy consumption per capita and the impacts on the environment (e-waste, consumption of data centers) of 27 countries of the European Union between 2007 and 2020.

For the visual representation of the data, we use different shapes to represent the different data variables, and use size to map the values. Additionally, we apply color gradients as a redundant visual variable to emphasize higher values. It should be noted that the visual representations are based on a visual metaphor that seeks to create floral forms. This visual representations aim to lead the reader to question the extent to which technological advances, namely the internet, help or affect the environment.