Mortal Fabric
Project Overview
Clothing production could stop today and we would able to dress nine generations of people. The fashion industry has grown into one of the most widespread and profitable sectors of the economy. However, current linear structures of mass production are harming our planet, and abusing
My team (Julia Sessions (Project Manager, UX Research & Design), Rue Yi Wang (UX Research & Design, Content Creation), and Sam Foss (Content Creation, Visual Design, Editing) and I recognized that at this rate, textile pollution is rapidly advancing our planets ecological crisis. We created Mortal Fabric, a multifaceted system that promotes the recirculation of excess textiles throughout communities, with a strong focus on accessibility and sustainability.
My Role
UX Research & Design, User Interface Design
Duration
12 Weeks
Tools
Miro, Pen & Paper, Adobe XD, Figma
Our Proposal
Mortal Fabric is an initiative providing communities with a platform and network to give and exchange textiles. Our digital component is MortalFabric.ca, and our physical component is the Community Closet; these two form the singular entity of Mortal Fabric, which work in symbiosis with one another to recirculate textiles within communities.
Problem Space
Preliminary Research: Manufacturing, material sourcing, fabric blends, textile recycling, product end of life, and take-back programs in stores.
User Research: Understand how users view sustainability and the end of life of their products.
How might we describe the journey of a clothing item from inception to wastage?
How might we modify existing linear economies to form a circular textile lifecycles?
How might we address user behaviours are we aiming to promote or change?
Expert Interviews
Nicholas Jelich, Alexander Racher & Liahm Ruest, Team Procario, University of Waterloo
Isaac Larose, EDEN Power Corp.
Dr. Anika Kozlowski, Assistant Professor of Fashion Design, Ethics and Sustainability, PhD Environmental Sciences, Ryerson University
Claire & Kris, Yorklane Art Collective
User Research
Cultural Wear and Tear by Anneli Palmsköld
Sustainable Fashion: A Survey on Global Perspectives by KPMG
Textile User Survey by Team Puhpowee (72 responses, respondents ages 18 to 30 years old)