Empower your wardrobe choices with Tortoise—your compass for sustainable fashion.
My Role
UX Designer
Project Duration
5 Months
Industry
Fashion Education
Team Members
Menna Toeima
Project Context
This project answers an open brief put out by
a public service for the planet that uses creativity to tackle climate change.
Problem
The fashion sector is the second largest polluting industry in the world after fossil fuel. We wanted to develop a response raises awareness of the polluting effects of the fashion industry, but also drives change.
Solution
Tortoise is a web extension that helps fashion consumers navigate the complexities of sustainable fashion so they can put sustainable practices into action.
Research
Objective
To gain insights into people's awareness of the environmental impact of the fashion industry, their understanding of sustainability, and the challenges they face in staying informed about sustainable fashion choices.
Methodologies
Secondary
Research
Conducted a review of awareness, perceptions, and challenges in adopting sustainable practices within the fashion industry.
Interviews
6
In-depth
semi-structured
interviews
Surveys
23
Qualified responses
Format: Online
Key Findings
Limited Awareness:
The majority of participants exhibited limited awareness of the fashion industry's environmental impact, indicating a significant knowledge gap.
Complexity of Sustainability:
Participants expressed confusion about what constitutes sustainable fashion, highlighting the complexity of discerning sustainable choices.
Information Overload:
Many participants felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information available, making it challenging to distinguish reliable sources and make informed decisions.
Lack of Industry Transparency:
Participants cited a lack of transparency within the fashion industry, making it difficult for consumers to verify the sustainability claims of brands.
Desire for Simplicity:
Participants expressed a desire for simplified, accessible information that could help them make sustainable choices without extensive research.
Quotes:
“It's hard to tell what clothes are genuinely sustainable. There are so many factors to consider, and it gets overwhelming."
Emily, Age 21
"I want to support ethical companies, but it's not easy to find reliable information."
Andrea, Age 27
Analysis
Persona
Based on insights from our research, we created our persona to better understand the goals, needs and obstacles of our target users. Meet Shopping Sharon:
Needs Statements
Based on Sharon's Goals and Frustrations above, we developed four main needs statements. Shopping Sharon needs a way to:
A centralized, easy-to-use resource for information on sustainable fashion.
Clear, simplified guidance to help her make sustainable fashion choices.
A tool to help her verify the sustainability claims of fashion brands.
A way to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed by information overload.
Solution
Insight:
While a lot of people are interested in buying slow fashion, it can be time-consuming and difficult to find trustworthy sustainable brands, especially when fast fashion items are such an easy alternative.
Idea:
Let's create a web extension that helps fashion consumers shop sustainably by providing them with all the information they need in one place.
How does it work?
Key Words: Tortoise highlights key terms on the webpage to educate fashion consumers on materials, production locations, and more.
Sustainability Rating: Tortoise offers real-time sustainability ratings for brands and products as you shop. For those seeking greener options, it suggests more sustainable brand alternatives.
Sustainability Ratin: Tortoise offers real-time sustainability ratings for brands and products as you shop. For those seeking greener options, it suggests more sustainable brand alternatives.
Case Study Video
