Designing Conscious Fashion Decision Systems
Designing Conscious Fashion Decision Systems
The problem wasn't that users didn't care about sustainable fashion. It was that caring wasn't enough to change behavior.
The problem wasn't that users didn't care about sustainable fashion. It was that caring wasn't enough to change behavior.
CONTEXT
CONTEXT
Users articulated strong intent to shop sustainably, and then didn't. The challenge wasn't awareness or motivation.
It was the gap between values and daily habit: sustainable decision-making had no natural entry point into how people actually got dressed, shopped, or thought about their wardrobes. The design problem was integration, not education.
Users articulated strong intent to shop sustainably, and then didn't. The challenge wasn't awareness or motivation.
It was the gap between values and daily habit: sustainable decision-making had no natural entry point into how people actually got dressed, shopped, or thought about their wardrobes. The design problem was integration, not education.
MY ROLE
MY ROLE
Led concept testing strategy and facilitation
Led concept testing strategy and facilitation
Designed stimulus prototypes
Designed stimulus prototypes
Conducted and synthesized user interviews
Conducted and synthesized user interviews
Prioritized features based on behavioral impact
Prioritized features based on behavioral impact
Defined final product direction
Defined final product direction
APPROACH
APPROACH
Concept testing with 16 participants across four stimulus-based screen walkthroughs per concept to pressure-test ideas before committing to a direction.
Concept testing with 16 participants across four stimulus-based screen walkthroughs per concept to pressure-test ideas before committing to a direction.
Archetype development from interview synthesis to ground feature decisions in distinct behavioral patterns.
Archetype development from interview synthesis to ground feature decisions in distinct behavioral patterns.
Feature importance rating and rank-order preference analysis to separate what users said they wanted from what actually shifted their decision-making.
Feature importance rating and rank-order preference analysis to separate what users said they wanted from what actually shifted their decision-making.
Behavioral journey mapping to locate where sustainable choices could realistically be embedded without adding friction.
Behavioral journey mapping to locate where sustainable choices could realistically be embedded without adding friction.
RESEARCH ARTIFACTS
RESEARCH ARTIFACTS
Behavioral Archetypes
Behavioral Archetypes
Typical journey map of people consuming fashion
Typical journey map of people consuming fashion
Four Concept Directions Tested
Four Concept Directions Tested
KEY INSIGHT
KEY INSIGHT
Users didn't need more information about sustainability, they needed tools that worked with their existing behavior, not against it. The concepts that landed were ones:
Users didn't need more information about sustainability, they needed tools that worked with their existing behavior, not against it. The concepts that landed were ones:
Used their current wardrobe as a starting point
Used their current wardrobe as a starting point
Enabled restyling before buying new
Enabled restyling before buying new
Offered sustainability guidance in context rather than as a separate learning task
Offered sustainability guidance in context rather than as a separate learning task
The through-line: sustainability needed to feel practical, not performative.
The through-line: sustainability needed to feel practical, not performative.
Feature Preference Visualization
Feature Preference Visualization
OUTCOME
OUTCOME
Two leading concepts — Ensemble and Conscious Fashionista — were merged into a unified prototype built around repeatable, low-friction interactions:
Two leading concepts — Ensemble and Conscious Fashionista — were merged into a unified prototype built around repeatable, low-friction interactions:
Digital wardrobe tracking
Restyling recommendations
Sustainability scoring with personalized recommendations
A learning hub for low-effort sustainability education
The final direction was directly informed by user preference data, prioritizing sustainable behavior change through repeatable, low-friction interactions.
Prototype: SustainStyle- Learning Hub (Hi-Fi prototype)
Prototype: SustainStyle- Learning Hub (Hi-Fi prototype)
Open to new roles- Seattle & Remote
Looking for roles in UX Research, Design Research, Design & Experience Strategy, and strategy-oriented experience design, on teams where insight actually shapes the work.
Nitya Jois | Seattle WA
Open to new roles- Seattle & Remote
Looking for roles in UX Research, Design Research, Design & Experience Strategy, and strategy-oriented experience design, on teams where insight actually shapes the work.
Nitya Jois | Seattle WA
Open to new roles- Seattle & Remote
Looking for roles in UX Research, Design Research, Design & Experience Strategy, and strategy-oriented experience design, on teams where insight actually shapes the work.
Nitya Jois | Seattle WA