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The Sustained Company
UX/UI Design, Research, Branding, Wireframing, Prototyping
2023
Background
The Sustained Company is an eco-friendly and affordable fashion company with the typical user being 18-47 that caters to those who like knowing where their clothes come from and how they affect their planet. Their goal is to use friendly materials that are affordable and come in a variety of sizes. They’ve also adopted fair pay and treatment for their employees.
Problem
Many clothing brands have a negative impact on the environment resulting in increased carbon footprint. Customers often have no idea what goes into their clothing (poor labor practices, materials that harm the environment).

Goal
The goal of The Sustained Company is to use friendly materials that are affordable and come in a variety of sizes. They want to be transparent about their products and how they treat employees.
My Role
My role was to design The Sustained Company's responsive website and app from conception to delivery. This included: Conducting interviews, making paper and digital wireframes, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
Research
Pain Points
1
Many brands do not list the materials used in their products, or they use fabrics that aren’t eco-friendly. Ethical labor practices are also a major issue in a lot of companies.
2
Clothing brands that are more sustainable tend to be more expensive, and therefore out of reach for some people.
3
There are still many brands that do not carry a wide variety of sizes making shopping more difficult and frustrating for some.
Personas
Problem Statement
Crosby is a surf shop owner who loves fashion and his planet who needs access to eco-friendly and ethical clothing brands because he wants to do right by his environment.
“As a lover of our planet, I take comfort in knowing how I reduce my impact on the environment.”
Crosby Sheridan

Age:
Education:
Hometown:
Family:
Occupation:
25
Bachelor's degree
San Diego, CA
Girlfriend and dog
Surf Shop Owner
Goals
•Looking for sustainable and functional clothing that he can wear both on and off the water.
•Willing to invest in quality, eco-friendly clothing that will last him a long time and reduce his environmental impact.
Frustrations
•Finds it difficult to find clothing that is both functional for surfing and stylish for everyday wear.
•Concerned about the environmental impact of the fashion industry and is looking for ways to reduce his own impact.
Problem Statement
Wren is a busy professional and fashionista
who needs eco-friendly and affordable clothing brands for all sizes because she wants to enjoy nice clothing and make the planet a better place.
"Though I love a good fit, I find it most important to be aware of how myself and my family affect our planet."
Wren Augustin

Age:
Education:
Hometown:
Family:
Occupation:
43
Master’s Degree
Denver, CO
Husband, 2 kids
Marketing Manager
Goals
•To be able to browse a wide range of eco-friendly clothing options that are stylish and affordable.
•Wants to know where each piece of clothing was made and what materials were used.
Frustrations
•Often finds it difficult to find fashionable sustainable clothing that fits her personal style and budget.
•Struggles with finding sustainable clothing in her size, as many brands do not cater to a diverse range of body types.
User Journey Map
I created a user journey map of Wren and Crosby’s experiences using the site to help identify possible pain points and possible improvements.


Sitemap
A primary pain point for users was not knowing what goes into their clothing.
My goal was to design a responsive website based on information architecture decisions that would include the materials used in the company’s clothing as well as transparency about their ethical practices.

Wireframes
I created wireframes for the app and the website for mobile, tablet, and desktop screen sizes.
Because this is a sustainable clothing company, I wanted a page dedicated to the impact the company has on the environment. I also wanted it to include statistics and materials used at the company to be transparent to the users.
Paper









Digital










Low-Fidelity Prototypes

Usability Study
I conducted a usability study to get a better understanding of what users would like to see on their journey through the website. The study helped me make design decisions that would improve my high-fidelity prototypes.
Pain Points
1
When testing on mobile devices, the sign in and create account buttons do not work.
2
The add to bag button is either not showing or does not make it clear that something was added.
3
There was some inconsistency in the call-to-action buttons.
Affinity Diagram

Iterations
Before the usability study, when the add to bag button was tapped, nothing happened. This made participants confused about whether they successfully added the item to their bag. I created a component that would add a number to the bag in the top right corner when the button was tapped.
The sign-in and create account buttons did not function forcing the participants to continue as a guest. I made them function properly which then took them to the sign-in/create account page.
Design System

High-Fidelity Prototypes
App
Website: Mobile
Website: Tablet
Website: Desktop
To Conclude:
I learned that it can be challenging to design for multiple screen sizes. I found starting from the mobile size and going up in screen size (progressive enhancement) to be more difficult than I imagined. My biggest takeaway from this project is to remember to check all buttons and interactions for all screen sizes on those respective devices to ensure everything works the same throughout the entirety of the project.
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