The Nation

Critical Design for Social Change

Overview

The Nation is an online shopping platform and service that would encourage UCSD students to donate and thrift clothing by educating them about the effects fast fashion has on the environment and fostering a community that promotes upcycling. The community page encourages students to upcycle existing clothing and students can provide other students with clothing refurbishing services, discuss upcycling, and post inspiration. 

Our final design report and prototype of the platform are shown here. A detailed case study breakdown is coming soon.

Role

User Interface Designer

Tools & Skills

  • Figma
  • Adobe XD
  • User Research
  • Prototyping
  • User Testing

Duration

3 months

January – March 2021

Team Members

Darla Co

Katherine Ngo

Mya Olivier-Jackson

The Issue

At UC San Diego, there is a lack of practical methods for students to sustainably engage with fashion. The few methods that exist for UCSD students are unclear and time-consuming, which students with busy schedules do not have time to decipher. Students understand that fast fashion is a problem but engage in it because they are inundated with social media content that promotes quick clothing turnaround, and there are no incentives or routes to disengage. Due to the prevalent and lucrative nature of the industry’s products, it would be impossible to completely stop UCSD students from buying fast fashion items. There needs to be a reliable track toward clothing sustainability that not only gives students the ability to live sustainably but also promotes and instills sustainable shopping habits in them.

The Intervention

The goal of The Nation is to propose doable, sustainable interactions with clothing and make fast fashion not the first thing students think of when purchasing clothes. We are not only promoting safe thrifting in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns, but also creating a cultural change within the UCSD community.

Intervention Report

Prototype

Feel free to click around and explore the Figma demo.