Digital Footprint Explorer

The Digital Footprint Explorer (DFE) is a research-driven mobile application developed at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). It helps make the normally invisible environmental impacts of everyday digital activities—such as messaging, social media use, video streaming, and cloud-based AI—more tangible and understandable.

DFE visualizes these impacts using an intuitive and emotionally engaging metaphor: a living digital garden. When a user's mobile data usage is low, the garden flourishes; when usage increases significantly, the garden gradually deteriorates. This gentle form of eco-feedback encourages reflection and supports more mindful digital habits without relying on guilt or numerical overload.