ALL WORKS

Crochet Industrial Complex

Design I Final Project at New York University

A fashion sustainability app that invites fashion entrepreneurs and designers to sell their handcrafted clothes and grow their businesses.

Timeline:
June 2022 - May 2022
My Role: 
Sole UI Designer
Tools:
Adobe XD
Skills:
Interaction Design, Visual Design, Information Architecture

Timeline:

March 2023- September 2024

My Role:

Lead UX Designer

Team:

1 Designer, 2 Software Developers, 1 Database Administrator, 1 Product Manager

Tools:

Figma, Bootstrap, HTML/CSS, .NET, Microsoft Azure

Skills:

Interaction Design, Visual Design, Design Systems

PROJECT OVERVIEW

As fast fashion continues to negatively impact the environment through pollution and carbon emissions, many consumers are turning to sustainable options when searching for clothes. From online thrifting to supporting local businesses, the fashion industry is seeing an increase in conscious consumers demanding transparency in how their clothes are made. This shift is part of the slow fashion movement, and this app was created in response to the growing number of slow fashion brands in the knitwear and crochet industry.

The Crochet Industrial Complex is an app that provides a platform for local businesses, designers, and fashion enthusiasts to sell handmade pieces and vintage items made ethically. Consumers can purchase clothing or explore a curated selection of patterns to create their own items. The app features weekly articles to educate users on the importance of ethics and sustainability in fashion and helps creators quickly grow their sustainable businesses.

BACKGROUND

While the slow fashion movement is gaining momentum, there is a lack of accessible platforms that connect consumers with sustainable knitwear and crochet brands, making it difficult for ethical creators to grow their businesses and for consumers to find eco-friendly handmade products and resources in one place.

Addressing Key ISSUES for Sustainable Fashion CONSUMERS:

How might we help sellers to build their brand and grow their customer base quickly?

Designers and entrepreneurs starting sustainable businesses often lack the time or budget to build a website, manage inventory, and handle shipping. Additionally, attracting customers without a dedicated platform can take years.

How might we make finding sustainable brands online more easily accessible for consumers?

Consumers seeking small, sustainable businesses often find it difficult and time-consuming to locate these lesser-known brands, frustrating their efforts to shop consciously and support small businesses.

How might we build a community where artists and designers can connect and collaborate with one another?

A supportive community can motivate, inspire, and provide essential resources for individuals pursuing their goals. For small business owners, especially those just starting out, having a community to lean on is crucial for overcoming challenges and thriving.

How might we provide opportunities for users to learn how to make their own handmade, sustainable clothing?

For users who are not only looking to purchase handmade items but are also looking to start making their own, they will want to seek out projects and tutorials that can allow them to achieve this.

The primary goal of this project is to create a platform that empowers sustainable fashion entrepreneurs to easily grow their brand and connect with conscious consumers, while fostering a supportive community for collaboration and providing educational resources for users interested in making their own handmade clothing.

RESEARCH

How might we create a platform that supports sustainable fashion entrepreneurs in building their brand, while also standing out against other online marketplaces?

TO ADDRESS THIS, i conducted an analysis to break down user feedback on online marketplace platforms

Etsy

Pain Points

Delights

- Etsy's search function is based more on recommended listings than the user's actual search query.

- It's difficult to market products and content

- Writing out listings can be a tedious process.
- It's easy to set up and maintain a shop.

- No knowledge of web development is required.

- There's a large number of active buyers registered to Etsy

- There's a solid community and good customer service.

Shopify

Pain Points

Delights

It's challenging for users to increase website traffic
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- There's limited website design and page building

- Users have to use third-party apps to market products.
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- The admin allows for users to view their sales and analytics
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- The shipping and payment processes are simplified to making selling easy

- No knowledge of web development is required and it is a user-friendly platform.

IDEATION

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF OUR USERS?

The sellers need...

to start their brand. They want to find a platform that makes marketing and selling items their simple and efficient. The seller aims to view customer engagement, communicate with customers, ship items, market their products, reach out to customer support, and many other tasks.

The buyers need...

to find a sustainable brand that fits their personal style. They want to be able to communicate easily with the seller, find brands that interest them, connect with other users, request sellers for commissions, learn to make handmade items, etc.

STRUCTURING A SITEMAP THAT ALIGNS WITH USER GOALS AND NEEDS FOR OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE

How does this sitemap address what our users need?

For sellers, the platform needed to offer simple tools for building their brand, tracking customer engagement, and managing sales, while buyers needed easy access to sustainable brands, personalized recommendations, and communication tools for connecting with sellers. By organizing the platform around these key tasks, the sitemap laid the foundation for a user-friendly experience that prioritizes efficiency and community-building.

After BREAKING DOWN THE Competitor Analysis and User Feedback, I Proceeded Directly to Creating High-Fidelity Wireframes

how DID THE USERS feel ABOUT THIS prototype? what mistakes were made?

What do you think about the design and content of the app?

"The font-weight of the messages and icons are too bold."
"I feel that the green and red colors of the accept or ignore buttons kind of clashes with the rest of the color scheme."

How do you feel about the app's logo and branding?

"I like your wordmark and logo separately but I’m not sure if they really work together."
"I really like the 'playful-like' character of this app and brand. It is very inviting and it makes me want to join."

What do you like or dislike about the layout of the app?

"All of your pages are extremely fluid and I especially like your color scheme with the light pink as the accent color"
"I would remove the follower count under the name and place that in a different frame"

DESIGN SOLUTION

Translating User Feedback FROM THE INITIAL PROTOTYPE into a Tailored Solution

WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS DESIGN and makes it stand out from competitors?

Incorporating a commission workflow is incredibly helpful for small designers and artists because it simplifies the process of managing custom orders by providing a clear and organized system for tracking requests.

Placing informative articles on the homepage further enhances the platform by positioning it as a hub for education and inspiration, not just commerce.

Ample white space, thoughtful layout choices, and restrained accents ensure that while the branding is memorable, it doesn’t distract from the products. Instead, it guides users’ focus toward the designs and listings, keeping the attention squarely on the items while still creating an inviting and professional atmosphere.

IMPACT

--> Empowering Small Designers and Artists

The platform allows small designers and artists to efficiently manage custom orders, showcase their work, and build a customer base without needing to invest in complex, expensive infrastructure.

--> Fostering an Informed and Engaged Community

By integrating informative articles and success stories, the app not only promotes sustainable fashion but also educates consumers, fostering a community that values ethical practices.

if i HAD MORE time, this is what i would've done differently

1. Expand Buyer and Seller Workflow Differences

Why?
I would have expanded the design to more clearly differentiate the workflows and interfaces for buyers and sellers. This could include tailored dashboards for each user type, with sellers having tools for managing inventory, commissions, and customer communication, while buyers focus on searching, purchasing, and reviewing items. This would have provided a more personalized and efficient user experience for both groups.

2. Conduct Additional User Testing

Why?
I could have conducted more rounds of user testing with both sellers and buyers to gather deeper insights into how they interact with the platform. This would have allowed for refining the design further based on real user feedback, improving usability, and ensuring the platform truly meets the needs of its target audience. More testing could have also revealed pain points earlier in the process, leading to more targeted improvements.