Energy, environment, and conscious consumption: making connections through design.

While environmental scientists alert the society to the urgent need for a turning point in the way resources have been consumed globally, the current economic situation in Brazil favors opportunities to increase still more individual's consumption. This paper relies on the technology presence to inspire the conscious consumption. Instantiated in the design of Residential Energy Feedback Systems (REFS), the challenge to connect energy consumption and environmental impact in Brazil is discussed. Then, design ideas proposed by HCI students that aimed to motivate users towards a more sustainable behavior are presented and analyzed, pointing out directions to a locally contextualized and effective motivational design approach.