Anülü
Weaving threats for sustainability
Type of work: Service design - Self directed MA graduation project
Duration: February 2020 - June 2020 (2 months + 3 under lockdown)
Team: Individual
My strengths: User research - Concept ideation
Driven by my love for fashion and genuine concern about sustainability issues, I chose this trending and relevant subject for my MA self-directed project. I felt brands, designers and NGOs are already exploring alternative materials, cleaner production methods and policy changes; but I could see an opportunity in the way we consume fashion from purchase to disposal. With this in mind, the focus of my research was on consumers’ behaviours to create awareness and help fashion consumers take some action on this matter.
Anülü
The Design
Anülü is a platform that unites high-street brands and local garment collectors to create curated and trendy pre-owned lines for fashion lovers. Envisioned to work in 2025 to make the fashion industry more circular and helping consumers to remember the value of their garments by encouraging them to take better care of their clothes and dispose them properly to be re-used, re-worked or re-cycled.
Trying to find a specific issue to solve, I realised the fashion industry is a complex system that needs collective effort to solve its impacts, directing the project into a speculative solution based on consumers’ needs but involving the key players of the industry. I can see second hand market and circularity as a logical approach to change the industry’s current linear and fast model.
Process
This project had a strong research component combining expert panel discussions, extreme user interview, wardrobe show and tell and a diary activity with provocation questions, where fashion lovers tracked their outfits for four days and then reflected on the way they buy, use and dispose fashion.
I also did a short problem framing workshop with a political scientist interested in fashion and finally, concept validation with 2 experts on fashion sustainability.
With Covid most of the conversations and diaries were online using simple tools like shared slides, WhatsApp and photographs.
Lessons Learnt
Time managing
Although working individually was an enjoyable experience to understand the way I work, my strengths, weaknesses and improving time management skills, sometimes it was too much work for me and it was challenging to take the project further.
User testing
The concept would have benefited from a stronger prototype like a mock-up of the platform where consumers could interact, or some precampaign activity to test it's validity and customers’ engagement with the idea.
Expert connections
Working closer with a project partner or a big retailer would have made it easier to validate the concept and build a more solid base for implementing this proposal.