ECOTHREAD
Design Research, UX/UI Design
STUDIO | Fall 2024A mobile application that gives users the ability to be fully informed on clothing sustainability. By scoring and organizing item information in terms of materiality and brand transparency, EcoThread focuses on education. Through gamified goal-making and providing similar, but more sustainable, clothing recommendations, users become more aware of their consumption choices.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Millennial and Gen-Z women on social media platforms are more influenced by trends because digital commerce has become more relevant and convenient to access.
PROBLEM FRAME
Micro-trends are pushing young adults to over consume through fast fashion and online shopping, which is in turn fulfilling instant gratification needs and affecting decision making skills. This is disrupting young adults perception of money, material value, causing mental health issues, and further effecting the environment.
PROBLEM DEFINITION
EcoThread is an app that raises awareness of sustainability in terms of materialistic habits and consumer tendencies for young women who are susceptible to following trends.
STAKEHOLDERS
INFO ARCHITECTURE
INTERVIEW INSIGHTS
Consumers are connecting with multiple new trends within a month, which is more than expected.
"I bought a back massager off of tiktok shop"Online shopping has become a convenience and consumers shop this way due to ease rather than finding sustainable ways to shop.
"apple pay makes me click 'buy now' without thinking twice"
Receiving new packages creates a release of dopamine and excitement to consumers days, creating a pattern of shopping when they need a mood boost.
"shopping makes me feel better after a bad day"The collection of insights was gathered from surveys, interviews, and card sorting activities. Understanding psychological triggers, the influence of social media, perception of trends, and consumer behavior patterns were some of the learning objectives.
Individuals are able to come up with a new justification for any purchase if they want something.
"it's girl math."DESIGN CRITERIA
Make use of shopping cues in our designs, such as sticker-like iconography, fun branded fonts with personality.
Avoid shame-based messaging; instead, focus on small, impactful changes that the audience can make.
ex: “You don’t have to change everything overnight. Start with one choice.”
Use messaging that is gender-inclusive, recognizing that consumption habits can affect everyone, while centering the experience of women in the narrative.
Color palette should reflect earth-tones while still incorporating light, disrupting colors to catch users attention through interface.
MOODBOARD
Introducing small textural details like thread to create a visual tie to fashion. Utilizing simplistic sans-serif typeface to allow modern earth-toned palette to pop with bright, disrupting accents.
STYLE TILE
GAMIFICATION
How might we de-prioritize desire when it comes to overconsumption?goal setting
How might we simulate an experience that mirrors the rush that user’s get when they have a package coming to them?
LOADING PAGE
APP FEATURES
EXPLORE PAGE
HOME PAGE
CATEGORY SEARCH
SUSTAINABLE SWAPS
ITEM SCAN
ITEM RATING
IMMEDIATE
CHANGE IN KNOWLEDGEInforming audience about the benefits of limiting consumption, specifically through fast fashion brands that are unsustainable in a friendly tone with intention to strictly
educate the audience.
INTERMEDIATE
CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVEEncouraging limited impulse shopping, and more thoughtful purchasing behaviors. Making shopping sustainably practical for audience by helping them make informed shopping decisions.
ULTIMATE
CHANGE IN BEHAVIORCreating a shift in mindset for audience, making them aware of other clothing options that are available and follow more sustainable, circular fashion practices.
