Kindly JR

09/05/2023

Kind words from my kind client Tash, The Gentle Travel Guide

"JR was a pleasure to work with, very professional, + delivered over + above my high design expectations. She created a simple, attractive + user friendly website with the most efficient carbon footprint, which I’m very pleased with. She did her own research into some of the information required which I had overlooked which was super helpful + is a testament to her dedication to her work + previous experience. Her sustainable IT knowledge is very impressive. She was great at advising how to continue with the sustainable practices she’d used to ensure the website’s digital carbon footprint remains as low as possible. I’d highly recommend working with her"

Tash is organically growing her regenerative travel movement, and is co-hosting a Women's Nature Circle May 12th. If that sounds like your cup of tea see more here: https://www.facebook.com/events/830963068693171🌸

05/05/2023

If the Internet was a country, it would be the fourth largest polluter - how can we improve this?

During this Digital Clean-up event, we will hear from Climate Ambassador JR Doyle, who through her sustainable web design business Kindly JR, creates websites for SME’s and non-profits, who want to make a big impact but leave a small footprint. JR will share her expertise on how we can all reduce our impacts, while navigating technology.

Join us on Tuesday, May 16th at 6:30-7:30pm. This is an online event.

Register via link in bio or click here: https://eeu-antaisce-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMscuiuqD0qGdNIjBSHa6h4RLUhA6kYGxA2 #/registration

21/04/2023

Created a new website for The Gentle Travel Guide a couple of months back. Loved working on this for Tash as it was very different from anything I've done. Tash's creative input injected splashes of colour and warmth throughout while the design remained clean. If you're looking for magical places off the beaten path in Ireland give it a look...

https://thegentletravelguide.com/

Though image heavy, the site was optimised, designed, and hosted sustainably with a great score on the Website Carbon Calculator: https://www.websitecarbon.com/website/thegentletravelguide-com/

A conscious collection of soul-igniting places to stay, immersive experiences + unique foodie finds for discerning wild wanderers in Ireland

16/09/2022

Extremely honoured to be a guest this week on the Book of Leaves - Podcast. Given that climate justice and sustainability are intrinsically linked to social issues, and given the well documented diversity problem in the tech industry; we spoke about my non-traditional journey into tech and sustainability. We then delved into the environmental impact of the internet, web design, data centres, and some at home/office tips to lower your own impact.

This was my first ever podcast chat (you can tell) and I've been a Book of Leaves fan since the very first episode. Total fan moment. Thanks so much to Ceara for her time and kind energy.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6dUqCV0qKDJStcOegTPW68

Listen to this episode from Book of Leaves on Spotify. This interview is with website designer and ethical activist JR Doyle of Kindly JR. Not only is she a wonderful person to work with, but I have learned so much from her since we connected on social media, and even more so in this interview. Whet...

08/09/2022

"The internet is virtual so it's already green isn't it?" We'd like to think so but...

The internet currently produces approximately 3.8% of global carbon emissions... the same as aviation. And it's set to double by 2025 to feed our insatiable hunger to consume more data.

Increasingly, web technologies are also being used to sow discontent, prompt unethical decisions, and, in some countries, undermine personal freedoms and the well-being of society.

Sustainable web design is an approach to designing web services that puts people and the planet first. Delivering clean, efficient, open, honest, regenerative, and resilient web products powered by renewable energy.

Sources: sustainablewebdesign.org , websitecarbon.com

Visit my website for more. https://kindlyjr.com

19/08/2022

When I first started my business, Kindly JR, in February this year, before I even went all in on the sustainability end of things I made the conscious decision from the get-go to only work with clients whose values aligned with my own. And like Tom Greenwood who paved the way back in 2007 to become an industry leader in web sustainability with Wholegrain Digital, I'm barely making enough to pay my basic living expenses. I could easily solve this if I had a less selective approach and it would certainly make my life easier financially. But instead of worrying about bills, I'd be back to where I was tossing and turning at night with a deep sense of guilt about my impact on the world. Yes, for the moment I've purposefully made my life more difficult, but I'm hoping in the long run it will make a small contribution to positive change.

"Just as we can all play a role in shaping our world by voting with our wallets every time we spend money, I believe that market forces can also be harnessed by businesses being more selective of who they offer their services to. Business is a two-way relationship and I believe that this approach is under utilised by businesses that are trying to create a positive social and environmental impact." - Tom Greenwood

Love this post on operating businesses with integrity by Tom 💚

https://tomgreenwood.substack.com/p/should-businesses-choose-their-customers

When Vineeta and I started Wholegrain Digital in 2007, we tried to open a business bank account with Triodos, who then as now, had a reputation for being the most ethical bank on the market. To our surprise, Triodos rejected our application for a bank account on the basis that we were not an ethical...

22/07/2022

When it comes to sustainability nobody is perfect and that includes businesses (even the ones who tick all the B Corp boxes). You can only do your best and try to work with others doing the same. Saying no to industries and initiatives who are ethically questionable is a powerful act (especially if it means you might lose money). By asking yourself some questions you can find the right balance for your business and the planet.

02/06/2022

Just like a car a website needs to be at an optimum level if it's to be at peak performance for the road. Here are just a few of the very important steps I take throughout site development and right before I launch a clients site to greatly improve performance and speed, reduce bulk, and as a result use less energy (producing less CO2) 💡💚

1. Use FREE Google Developer Tools to check the sites Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO.

2. Analyze page speeds on pagespeed.web.dev/

3. • Optimise images.
• Minify CSS and Javascript
• Check site security

Check your website carbon at www.websitecarbon.com. You can reduce CO2 by following the above steps and of course switching to green hosting if you haven't already.

✅✅✅

04/05/2022

It's estimated the Internet's global carbon emissions are on par with the airline industry! A few simple steps can reduce carbon emissions and make our websites more ecologically sustainable. Have a look at my latest blog post to see how:

Simple steps we can take to reduce our carbon emissions and make our websites more ecologically sustainable.

31/03/2022

Really enjoyed making a new website for one of my favourite podcasts Book of Leaves - Podcast an Irish podcast on eco-friendly living, created and hosted by Ceara 💚 Ceara’s previous website was a little outdated and cluttered and didn’t fully represent her creativity. Our objective was to bring the podcast content to the forefront, showcase Ceara’s offerings and optimise the site as much as possible given that podcast embeds are quite bulk heavy. I also switched the site to hosting that runs on green energy ♻️ Ceara is just starting Season 4 and she is brimming with contagious Springtime energy so get listening! www.bookofleavespodcast.com

25/02/2022

'Renaissance'. A new Ukraine waking up after a long sleep. This image is embodied in the face of a young girl who protects their land and a new generation: the boy on her hand looks with hope to the future. 2014 Kyiv, by Seth x Kislow.

02/01/2022

VEGANUARY: Living Vegan for the month of January 🌱

Vegans campaign for and envision a world without animal farms and slaughterhouses. A world where food production does not decimate forests, pollute rivers and oceans, exacerbate climate change, and drive wild animal populations to extinction.

Veganuary has been running since 2014 and more than half a million people tried vegan during the 2021 campaign. So many shops, restaurants and cafés take part now each January it's really easy to start a plant-based diet.

I've been very happily vegan since January 2010. And nope, I don't have any deficiencies, and yep I am healthy. I get plenty of protein, amino acids, and vitamins from the food I eat and I supplement with Vitamin B12 and take vitamin D throughout the darker months (but this is something I would recommend for everyone). The first couple of months being vegan were the most difficult. I survived on the same 3-4 cooked meals and jars of peanut butter... but I soon learned to cook with plenty of fresh veggies and beans. It's a lot different now with so many plant based alternatives for milk, butter, cheese, and protein packed foods like tofu which are widely available. In the last few years Ireland has seen a massive rise in top quality plant-based producers, shops, cafés and restaurants - it's really quite amazing how much things have changed. I'm so excited to see people embracing a kinder way.

Will you be giving VEGANUARY a try?

🍊🍏🍌🥕🍅🍠🥦🥬🍆🫑🍞🥗🫐🍓