A design proposal for reducing online
consumption
and providing knowledge about
sustainability
using critical design and a user-centric
design approach
Amina Muftic
Interaction design Bachelor 22.5HP Spring/20182
Contact information
Author: Amina Muftic Email: amina.muftic1@gmail.com Supervisor: Per-Anders Hillgren Email: per-anders.hillgren@mau.seMalmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society
Examiner:
Elisabet M. Nilsson
Email: elisabet.nilsson@mah.se
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Abstract
Overconsumption is one of the reasons why our natural resources are running out faster than ever. However, the word overconsumption can be interpreted in different ways. Thus, it the core meaning is, the excessive consumption of redundant belongings. The purpose of this thesis is to research how people consume today, and what can be done to reduce those needless purchases. It will specifically focus on the clothes since that is one of the things that not only affects the environment but it can be ethically immoral for the people who manufacture the clothes.
Through research and findings, a prototype will be created in order to study if that can be a solution for people’s excessive consumptions. It will investigate if a digital interactive solution can impact people to consume less or at least make them rethink about sustainable and ethically made items.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my supervisor Per-Anders Hillren for his valuable guidance and support throughout the entire thesis.
I would also like to thank everyone who participated in interviews, workshop and usability tests, for their valuable time.
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Table of contents
Contact information ... 2 Abstract ... 3 Acknowledgements ... 4 Figure list ... 6 1. Introduction ... 7 1.1 Background ... 7 1.2 Purpose ... 8 1.3 Delimitations ... 9 1.4 Intended target group ... 9 1.5 Research question ... 9 2. Theory ... 10 1.2 Drive theories ... 10 2.2 Identity creation ... 12 2.3 Celebrity endorsement ... 13 2.4 Lack of environmental connectivity ... 14 2.5 Sustainable interaction design ... 14 2.6 Critical design ... 15 2.7 Related work ... 16 3. Methods ... 20 3.1 Literature studies ... 20 3.2 User-centric design (UCD) ... 20 3.3 Field studies ... 21 3.4 Interaction design principles ... 23 3.5 Prototyping ... 24 3.6 Usability testing ... 25 3.7 Ethics ... 25 4. Design process ... 27 4.1 Field studies ... 27 4.2 The idea ... 37 4.3 Lo-fi prototype & User Test I ... 38 4.4 Hi-fi prototype I & User test II ... 39 4.5 Hi-fi prototype II & User test III ... 41 4.6 The final result ... 45 5. Discussion and Conclusion ... 48 5.1 Discussion ... 48 5.2 Knowledge provided ... 51 5.3 Critical evaluation ... 51 5.4 Conclusion and future work ... 51 References ... 54 Appendix I: Survey ... 60 Results from the survey ... 62 ... 62 Appendix II: Interview guide ... 646
Figure list
FIGURE 2.1. EXAMPLE OF HOW AVOID WORKS ON THE WEBSHOP ASOS.COM ... 17 (AVOID PLUGIN, 2018 IN ASOS, 2018). ... 17 FIGURE 2.2. SHOWING A GOOGLE SEARCH AND DONE GOOD SUGGESTIONS ON THE SIDE, INCLUDING DISCOUNT CODES. 2.3. DONE GOODS OWN WEBSHOP SHOWING THE DIFFERENT QUALITIES OF THE ITEM THROUGH ICONS (DONE GOOD, 2018). ... 18 FIGURE 2.4. EXEMPLE OF HOW ONE CAN ASSEMBLE THEIR WARDROBE BY TAKING A PHOTO OF AN ITEM OR CHOOSING FROM A CATALOG PRVIDED BY THE APPLICATION (MY OUTFIT, 2017). ... 19 FIGURE 4.1 INTERVIEW DONE IN A CAFÉ. ... 29 FIGURE 4.2. INTERVIEW DONE IN HOME ENVIRONMENT. ... 30 FIGURE 4.3. SIMILAR COMMENTS THAT THE PARTICIPANTS HAD. ... 31 FIGURE 4.4. DIGITAL VERSION OF THE PACKAGE, THAT THE PARTICPANTS WERE PROVIDED (EXCEPT FOR THE SMART PHONE). ALL IMAGES USED FROM FLICKR.COM (FLICKR, 2018). ... 32 FIGURE 4.5. TWO OF THREE PARTICIPANTS, DRAWING VARIATIONS USING THE CRAXY 8 METHOD. ... 35 FIGURE 4.6. SIMPLE OVERVIEW OF THE CONCEPT ... 37 FIGURE 4.7, 4.8 & 4.9 . THE PAPER PROTOTYPE ... 38 FIGURE 4.10 & 4.11. IMAGES SHOWING A WEBSHOP AND HOW THE PROTOTYPE COULD LOOK. AN S CAN BE SEEN ON THE IMAGE TO THE LEFT NEXT TO THE TEXT. ALL IMAGES ARE ALTERATIONS TO WWW.LINDEX.SE. ... 39 FIGURE 4.12, 4,13, 4.14 & 4.15. IMAGES SHOWING A WEBSHOP AND THE DIFFERENT RESULTS THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE AS WELL AS THE POP UP ABOUT THE MATERIAL INFORMATION. ALL IMAGES ARE ALTERATIONS TO WWW.LINDEX.SE. ... 40 FIGURE 4.16. THE INSTRUCTIONS PAGE ... 42 FIGURE 4.17, 4.18, 4.19 & 4.20. TOP LEFT: SHOWING ICONS ON EVERY ITEM. TOP RIGHT: WHEN AN ITEM IS PRESSED THE USER GETS DIRECTLY SENT TO THE OVERVIEW. BOTTOM LEFT: CLICKING THE “VIEW SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS” BUTTON THE POP UP EXPANDS. BOTTOM RIGHT: ANOTHER POP UP SHOWS UP WHEN CLICKING THE “X” BUTTON ALL IMAGES ARE ALTERATIONS TO WWW.LINDEX.SE. ALL PROVOCATIVE IMAGES USED FROM FLICKR.COM (FLICKR, 2018) ... 43 FIGURE 4.21 & 4.22. THIRD USER TEST, CONDUCTED IN AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT. ... 44 FIGURE 4.23. OVERVIEW OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY. HAIR PRESENTED IN A GREEN COLOR SINCE THE STUDY DOES NOT FOCUS ON PEOPLES ETHNICAL BACKGROUND. ... 45 FIGURE 4.24, 4.25, 4.26, 4.27 & 4.28. SMALL VISUAL ALTERATIONS TO THE PREVIOUS PROTOTYPE. ... 47 ALL IMAGES ARE ALTERATIONS TO WWW.LINDEX.SE ... 47 ALL PROVOCATIVE IMAGES USED FROM FLICKR.COM (FLICKR, 2018). ... 477
1. Introduction
How we live today affects the environment in many ways. The world population is constantly growing and by the year 2050 the world will reach a population of 9.7 billion people (Sahima et al., 2017). This could mean that three planets would be required in order to produce the natural resources needed for today’s lifestyles. As the population grows and more people are joining the middle class, so does the demand for our constrained natural resources increase and the need to consume grows. On one hand, people joining the middle class is good for the individual wealth, but in order to sustain our world we need to change our production and consumption patterns. UN has put up 17 sustainable development goals for 2030 and number 12 is: “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns” (United Nations [UN], n.d.). Which has particular relevance because this paper will focus on peoples’ consumption behaviours when shopping online.
Every year around one third of all the food produced (around 1.3 billion tonnes) is being thrown away. Water is being wasted and nature cannot recycle it fast enough. The energy usage in households is becoming more sustainable although it only covers 29 percent of the global energy (United Nations [UN], n.d.). Not only does the households lead to unsustainable food, water and energy supplies, but by consuming the amounts we do in this time of age we encourage unethical sourcing of products (Goworek et al., 2011).
This paper will focus on peoples’ online consumption and the clothing industry in particular. People are shopping online more frequently, and particularly clothes and sporting goods (Statistiska Central Byrån [SCB], 2016). Since the thesis is within the field of interaction design the focus will be directed towards online consumption as it allows for more digital impact. The phones and computers are becoming a bigger part of our lives and shopping online is getting more common which is why a digital solution can be applicable in this case (Morais et al., 2017).
1.1 Background
A study from Finland has shown that people feel guilt when throwing away food, or when consuming more than what is necessary, still they have a hard time understanding how it can have an impact on the environment in the future. They do not experience any severe
8 consequences because of their waste at the moment which makes it hard to understand how that can have an impact in the future. Also adopting environmentally friendly food behaviours is challenging because it is less suitable to their lifestyle (Hoek et al., 2017). Similar to this is the consumption of cheap clothing. It had been found to be easier to borrow books than buy new ones, not wash clothes unless the machines are completely full, recycle bottles, use water carefully and preserve the electricity, than to give up cheap clothing even if it becomes a greater cost for the environment (Joy et al., 2012).
Buying cheaper clothes leads to higher frequencies of consumption which results in more intense clothes production. However, producing these clothes results in both unethical and unsustainable consequences. Starting with the production of cotton and polyester which are two of the materials that are used most in clothes. Manufacturing polyester requires a lot of energy and it releases emissions because of the huge volumes of crude oil, as well as results in respiratory diseases for the labourers in the factories. Cotton crops on the other hand requires a lot of water and pesticides which leaves a substantial environmental footprint. Cotton that is produced in developed countries, is often exported to countries with lower labour costs in order to manufacture clothes cheaper (Claudio, 2007). Nevertheless, the production of clothes is unethical as well. Most of today’s clothes are manufactured in Bangladesh, Pakistan (Goworek et al., 2011) and China (Claudio, 2007) where salaries are below subsistence level. Meaning the people that work to produce our clothes does not earn enough money to cope (Goworek et al., 2011).
From cheap production to low clothing prices, the consumption leads to overconsumption. Defined as “Goods consumed above a basic level needed to sustain ourselves and give reasonable comfort” (Ehrlich & Ehrlich 2004 in Håkansson, 2014).
1.2 Purpose
The purpose of this thesis is to research today’s online consumers and what their drive for consuming is. Writing the thesis within the field of interaction design, the aim is to spread knowledge about how technology can, discourage consumerism or inspire people to choose sustainable options, as well as spread knowledge about the many consequences consumption can have. Using different methods within the interaction design field, this thesis will research the area to find where a design approach could be applicable. The thesis will share knowledge
9 not only about a healthier consumption but also show how it can be a result of sustainable interaction design. The solution will be tested and iterated in order to spread knowledge to individuals who consume regularly, as well as people within the field, working for a more sustainable planet.
1.3 Delimitations
The research of the thesis is limited to consumers located in Sweden, due to the need for interviews held in person. Additionally, Sweden is a developed country which allows for higher consumption levels. That is why it allows for research on people that have the ability to shop online. The study is done on an individual level but the consequences and the academic research touch upon the environmental and ethical impact that consumerism have. The results of the study will be focusing on the individuals in order to influence a change of behavior. The result of the study will be digitally interactive because of the focus on online consumption, and will not focus on in-store consumption since it allows for lesser digital impacts.
1.4 Intended target group
The intended target group for the research is people who frequently shop online. Studies have shown that women are the group that shop the most (Claudio, 2007) which also makes them the larger target within the research. People between the ages 16 and 74 use the internet to shop online (Statistiska Central Byrån [SCB], 2016), however, in order to go into a consumer agreement, one has to be 18 years or older or have a parent consent, which is why this study will focus on people over the ages of 18 (Konsumentverket, 2018). In order to get variation within the target group, both students and full-time workers will be included in the study.
1.5 Research question
How can today's online consumption be reduced, on an individual level using critical design and a user-centric design approach?
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2. Theory
This chapter will present the different causes for peoples continues consumption. These theories bring attention to the reasons behind people’s desirability to material possessions as well as the motivation for consuming more than needed. Further, theories within the field of interaction design will be presented as well as related work.
1.2 Drive theories
Drive theories describe different psychoanalytic reasons for why people consume and waste natural resources in a higher rate than we can renew them. They describe the different motivations as to why people have the need to consume more than what is necessary (Bigda-Peyton, 2004).
2.1.1 The false self
The false self, starts from childhood when we are being demanded to do something that our parents’ wish for and get rewarded for it. When doing so, we continue to earn their love and support. However, sometimes these external requests diverge with children’s personal feelings which leads the children’s subjective feelings aside. The children ignore their own feelings and instead believe that their parents’ wishes are also their own. When the children grow older they get exposed to societal and medial demands as well, where the same thing happens. Confusion grows as to what they hear and what they, themselves want. When they later grow up they get an ambiguous sense of that something is missing, and they do not know what they are actually feeling. What the false self does, in this case, is that it covers unrecognized emotions and wishes (Kanner & Gomes 1995 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004). Because of the distance that is present to one’s personal feelings it can also result in the lack of empathy for the environment (Gruen 1995 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004).
2.1.2 Pathological consumption
Similar to the “The false self” stated in chapter 2.1.1 parent’s rewards and approvals of children’s behaviour affects the way children see themselves (Wachtel 2003 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004). They mean that this behaviour becomes a part of how a person perceive themselves. When children behave according to their parents’ wishes they feel proud of themselves. However, it can have the effect of dissatisfaction and discontent, leading to the feeling of not
11 being good enough, a common occurrence in our society. “Nothing is enough, and more is better” (ibid.). This feeling of not being enough and the constant competition for wealth and income is a result of greediness. Wanting more money results in wanting more material possessions which leads to overconsumption, a result of a person never being fully satisfied or content with what he or she has.
2.1.3 Child-rearing practices
The child-rearing theory is grounded in the earliest stages of life. Infants are dependent on their parents so when the mother changes from breastfeeding to the bottle or leaves the infant alone for a time, they grow separate from each other. When the children also get loaded with material things as toys and other playthings they start to seek happiness in material objects. When children’s care givers are not present enough and instead try to compensate that with playthings the children start to seek comfort in material things rather than the mother. Resulting in overconsumption because people start to seek happiness in things rather than people (Schmookler 2003 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004).
2.1.4 Freud’s id
The id, ego and superego are structures of ourselves according to Freud (1923 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004). Nonetheless, the relevant one in this thesis is the id which is the unique biological system that holds the instinct and it is also the source of physic energy. Meaning, the id’s role is to avoid pain and seek pleasure. The result of it, is yet again overconsumption because the id wants to obtain pleasure by consuming and with that it fulfils the needs of one’s life. When the id is constantly exposed to commercials and television watching problems like increased spending occur (Schor 1998 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004).
2.1.5 Developmental Perspective
Anxieties and unaware mind-sets can have a connection about how we feel for the environment and in what amount we consume (Klein 1955 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004). Not feeling empathy or positive emotions for oneself can be transferred onto the mind-set one has for the environment. People can feel omnipotence when overconsuming and we create some sort of fantasy world where nothing ever runs out because we constantly consume. At the same time these negative emotions of hopelessness and depression turn into positive ones because people become happy when they consume (ibid).
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2.2 Identity creation
Owning clothes, was once means of survival and keeping warm but has turned into an expression of ourselves and what we stand for. It reflects our values and perspectives (Giddens 1991 in Carr et al., 2012). Consuming what was needed shifted to consuming to stand out. We needed to show our individuality and personal style in the correct way because that would result in authenticity (Schor 1999 in Carr et al., 2012). With fashion people define their personal choices, individual identity but it also builds their social relations with others (Pan, 2014). At the same time advertisements and media is stimulating the consumption by displaying how important it is to present oneself in “the right way” (Giddens 1991; Schor 1999 in Carr et al., 2012). This is something that does not only affect our selves but also the entire society.
2.2.1 Fast fashion
As the interest in materialism is growing so does the desire for the latest fashion trends. We want to be up to date with the latest things because that is a part of who we have become (Schor 1999 in Carr et al., 2012). New trends are set by luxury brands and in order for everyone to be a part of that, low-cost clothing stores offer mimics of these luxury items and it is called fast fashion. Although a problem is created when the trends change often which results in fast manufacturing of unsustainable clothes and the predicament of it, is that the clothing can end up thrown away or not even used. Because of the clothes being cheap, people consume more and throw them away when the trends change. A study showed that people did not find it vital to buy expensive clothing if it was not going to be trendy in a year, instead chose to buy them at a lower cost and keep updating with the trends. These types of clothes are not made to last more than ten washes because of low quality fabrics and manufacturing. Buying multiple clothes that are cheaper offers variety in the wardrobe, than buying exclusive clothes that are expensive. When the stores are up to date with the latest fashion trends it keeps the customers coming back which is the goal of every retailer. The low prices can also take in younger crowds which are attractive customers to cheap clothing (Joy et al., 2012). This type of fast fashion support disposability (Fletcher 2008 in Joy et al., 2012). However, the manufacturing of these clothes is most often done in countries with low labour costs. Which results in lower prices, but it also results in low wages for the workers. Another
13 issue is that these countries are often far away from where the clothes are sold which results in long transportations which is, not a sustainable option. Fashion shows contributes to people wanting the latest trends immediately which results in fast manufacturing to fast transportation and fast environmental damages (Joy et al., 2012).
2.3 Celebrity endorsement
Consumerism could be derived from wanting the same things as one’s neighbours and friends but in later years it has changed into wanting what celebrities have. As advertising through television became popular people started to strive for the life of celebrities or the lifestyles of television characters. People bought things to mimic the rich and famous lives that people had on screens (Schor 2000 in Carr et al., 2012). As time passed, watching television has been upgraded into using mobile phones, introducing the constant need for social media and the users are mostly young people between the ages 18 and 29. A survey showed how people spend hours on their phones and receive thousands of E-mails. Further, apps like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter are also used regularly (Morais et al., 2017). That created the job title “influencer”. With high following numbers, they advertise products and through that they earn money on their social media channels. The reason for the high success in this type of advertising is because the influencers show their lives and connect with the audience on a deeper level, which makes them credible. People can relate to their favourite influencer because they see similarities in their own lives. When an influencer then recommends a product or service by including it in their own lives, the audience trusts their opinions and want to imitate them. This makes them more relatable then celebrities which lives we do not see on social media (Abidin 2016 in De Veirman, Cauberge and Hudders, 2017).
However, this becomes a discussion when the influencers and celebrities do advertisement as a living. They encourage consumption but at the same time, provide jobs for companies as well as themselves and their surroundings. Because they have it as their job it is difficult to criticize, however they do encourage overconsumption.
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2.4 Lack of environmental connectivity
A consumer perspective in which consumers feel a lack of connectivity with the environment will be presented during this chapter. As mentioned previously consumption can be grounded in the depth of our relationship with our mothers (Winter 2000 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004) or the empathy we have towards ourselves (Gruen 1995 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004). However, the lives that people live in the western world today can also reflect on the connectivity they have with the environment. Even though consumers find environmental friendliness important it does not necessarily mean that the consumer is going to act on it, meaning they will not live by it (Van dam & Van Trip 2013 in Hoek et al., 2017).
A study showed a reason as to why people have a lack of environmental connectivity, being that people do not have enough knowledge about the environmental impacts that food can have for example. Even though this study is focusing on the clothing aspect, this article is relevant in the sense that is shows how people think in regard to the environment. A participant from the research, commented on how he will choose better food for his health rather than the environment. When thinking of the environment, people primarily focus on aspects in the home like turning down the lights or taking shorter showers. The lives today are often very busy and people prioritize time differently, meaning they do not have time for cooking which benefits fast food and processed foods. However, these choices cause repercussions both to people’s health and the earth which can also disconnect them from the environment (Hoek et al., 2017). As a result, environmental friendliness need to become easier, in order for it to suite with people’s busy lives. Environmentally profitable food has to become more accessible in order for people to choose it. Same principle transfers into the clothing industry, in order for people to choose environmental friendly choices it has to be easily accessible. People are capable of feeling guilty when wasting food because they feel like they are wasting their money (Hoek et al., 2017). Still, throwing away clothes does not feel the same.
2.5 Sustainable interaction design
During 2007 Eli Blevis (2007) came out with an article that set the focus on sustainable interaction design or sustainability in Human Computer Interaction. The article presents two ways of the aspect, the first being sustainability in design and the second one is sustainability through design. Online consumption is done on hardware as mobile phones, tablets and
15 computers and that does not seem to change in the near future which is why this part will not focus on sustainability in design but rather focus on sustainability through design in order to create something that is adjusted to how people consume online.
Sustainability through design directs its focus on designing to encourage sustainability. There are a couple of principles that are all relevant when it comes to this project.
“(i) linking invention & disposal—is a principle that links invention as a cause of disposal, (ii) promoting renewal & reuse—is a principle about the first-order design requirement for sustainability which includes several of the categories in the rubric above, namely salvage, recycling, remanufacturing for reuse, reuse as is, and sharing for maximal use” (Blevis, 2007).
Both of the principles above are relevant in the sense that they promote sustainability which is the aim of the thesis. There are three other principals as well, one being “quality and equality” which is something that this thesis will try to focus on by creating something that stands for equal rights for people in developing countries. Second principle is “de-coupling ownership and identity” which is interesting in particular as it focuses on the creation of identity and how it affects the consumption. (Blevis, 2007). That needs to be taken into consideration as identity creation is important for people (Schor 1999 in Carr et al., 2012). The third principle concerns “using natural models and reflection”, meaning imitating natural resources and the methods for achieving them. The goal of sustainability through design is to create products that will encourage sustainability by thinking and behaving sustainable (Blevis, 2007).
2.6 Critical design
The purpose of critical theory described by Anthony Dunne:
“to make people think…. For us, the interesting thing is to explore an issue, to figure out how to turn it into a project, how to turn the project into some design ideas, how to materialize those design ideas as prototypes, and finally, how to disseminate them through exhibitions or publications”
The term critical design was founded by Fiona Raby and Anthony Dunne during the 1990s (Koskinen, 2011), however, the term came from critical theory which was a philosophical movement aiming to critique knowledge (Bardzell et al., 2012). Back in the 1990s, critical design tried to help people find their genuine interests instead of affirming what shops and
16 such provided them with. Commercial design was perceived as something dangerous needed to be avoided (Koskinen, 2011). Stores today want to increase consumption and attracts costumers with low prices, although as mentioned these prices are a hazard to the environment. This pattern can be hard to break since consumption has become a common action of the everyday life (Joy et al., 2012). Koskinen (2011) describes critical design as the Showroom in his book by questioning how people perceive the material world. People usually tail a “script” that design has offered them and by doing so they become “actors of industry” as Koskinen describes it. An example of these roles are the ones as a user and consumer. By adopting critical design the way people perceive their everyday lives changes (Koskinen, 2011).
Using critical design, which is focusing on the approach of designing electronic products that will encourage important yet intricate reflections, can be a solution to the problem stated in this thesis. Products can be designed in a way that will provoke the user to reflect over their decisions and everyday habits. By using critical design a solution can be designed to interrupt and violate rather than enrich an experience. Meaning presenting dilemmas that people do not think of in everyday life, and by doing so a user start to reflect over the choices that he or she has been making. However, an issue with critical theory is that it gives no specific way of adapting the theory and designing is a process of making things through design materials. Resulting in no specific guidelines as to how one can implement critical design in their process, although it is a means of provoking and creating discussion when designing for technology (Bardzell et al., 2012).
2.7 Related work
Four related products that have been found will be presented further. Two of the products are plugins which is are software add-ons. Meaning they are installed on a software for example, a browser, because that browser does not have that particular function which the plugin can provide. Both of the plugins are solutions that address the issue of unsustainable and unethical clothing manufacturing which is why they are relevant for this study. Both of the solutions can be installed on a computer and used when shopping online. Another related product is a service created by Vigga Svensson (TEDx Talks, 2016), and the fourth one is an application containing a digital wardrobe (My Outfit, 2017).
17 2.7.1 aVOID
Avoid is a plugin that can be installed on the computer and it works on certain websites. It does not support the Swedish versions of websites but it does support international web shops like Amazon, Zalando and Asos in countries like USA, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The plugin hides all items that have been made unethically (Asos, 2018, Figure 2.1). It focuses on stopping child labour. This is a solution that works solely on the ethical aspects. It does not present which particular manufacturer made it or in which country but only shows a stop hand and the item cannot be seen (Avoid Plugin, 2018). However, it is good in the sense that it focuses on the ethical aspect, though, it does not focus on the sustainability of clothing which can also be important. If people cannot see the clothes they cannot buy them which slows down the fashion process. This product relates to this thesis because it focuses on clothes when shopping online and the ethical issues which can be a result of fashion.
Figure 2.1. Example of how Avoid works on the webshop asos.com (Avoid Plugin, 2018 in Asos, 2018).
2.7.2 Done Good
Done Good is another plugin which works with Google Chrome. The focus here is to provide clothes that are sustainably made. When Googling the type of item that a person would want to purchase, the plugin provides with web shops that sell sustainable and ethical clothes. On their website, one can also look for specific items from diverse websites. Another thing that
18 the plugin does is that it offers discounts when using it. If one would find something on the web shop with sustainable and ethical clothes a discount code would be available for use (Figure 2.2). They also mark their clothes with icons depending on if the item is friendly for the environment, people and animals (Figure 2.3). As the previous plugin, it only provides American websites and it works on Google and Amazon only (Done Good, 2018). Something that Done Good relates to is the identity creation which is an important part for people (Pan, 2014). It does not take that away from a human but instead it provides better and friendlier clothes that does not hurt people and the environment. Another positive aspect is that it gives people vegan options as well as clothing that empower workers or support diversity (Done Good, 2018). However, it does not solve the issue of continues consumption which still, is a problem that needs to be solved. Similar to Avoid it is relevant for this project in the sense that it emphasises sustainability in the clothing industry. It does not focus on overconsumption although it is a solution for unsustainable and unethical shopping.
Figure 2.2. Showing a Google search and Done Good suggestions on the side, including discount codes. 2.3. Done Goods own webshop showing the different qualities of the item through icons
(Done Good, 2018). 2.7.3 Clothing subscription
Another existing idea was inspired by a TEDx talk (2016). A woman named Vigga Svensson came up with the idea of creating a subscription for baby clothes. Since small children grow out their sizes fast there is a great amount of clothing that is bought during that period. Instead of buying one would pay a monthly fee and receive high quality sustainable children’s clothes in the correct sizes. When the baby later outgrows them, one would send them back where they would be professionally washed, and receive another batch of clothing in the right size for the child. The service is very related to a thesis like this one as it focuses on sustainable and ethical clothing as well as reducing the overconsumption and it could be a solution to fast
19 fashion because people could receive and use clothes and another could later on reuse them. It is not within the field of interaction design however it is a solution to the problem that is stated in this project. One problem that could occur with this type of service is that people would not want to use it because other people have been using the clothes, but by educating people in parallel to the service, users might understand that it is not harmful.
2.7.4 My Outfit
My Outfit is an app where a user can digitalize her or his wardrobe (Figure 2.4). All of the real clothes can be put in to the app and one can put together outfits by using the app. However, this app has functions where one can see other people’s outfits as well, which could encourage consumption instead of minimizing it (My Outfit, 2017). It relates to the thesis in the way that it could encourage sustainability in the sense that people use their own clothes instead of buying new ones. Instead of buying something new, a user can use the app to assemble an outfit with clothes they already own. Nevertheless, it can also encourage consumption with the function of uploading outfits, which is not the aim of the thesis.
Figure 2.4. Exemple of how one can assemble their wardrobe by taking a photo of an item or choosing from a
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3. Methods
The methods that was used during the project will be presented in chapter three. Chapter four will be looking into how these methods were used during the project and how they led to the final design.
3.1 Literature studies
Literature studies has been used in order to understand the reasons and motives behind peoples continued consumption. This has been done by reading and reviewing existing data that has been gathered, documented and evaluated from books, articles and official websites. The data gathered has been presented in chapter two in form of theories and reasons why people consume, and it will be discussed according to the final design in chapter five (Muratovski, 2016).
In parallel to reading the literature the data has also been reviewed and tested in interviews and a survey (ibid.). This has been done in order to get a better understanding of people’s attitudes towards the environment and if there are similarities or differences from the gathered literature data.
3.2 User-centric design (UCD)
User-centric design focuses on the involvement of users during the design process. It can be when it is time for user testing or in the beginning stages of the design. The users can be primary, secondary and tertiary, where the primary users are people that are going to use the product or service frequently. The secondary users are the ones who will use the product occasionally and tertiary users are the ones who will be affected by it. During this study, primary and secondary users will be a part of the design. Involving the users into a design process can be beneficial, as it is something that will be used by them. By understanding the users first, then later on let them in on the design process, the outcome will be shaped in order to fit their mind-sets. Exposing the user to the same environment as the product would be used, was also done during interviews and tests (Abras et al., 2004).
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3.3 Field studies
In this section, the different methods used during field studies in order to get an understanding of the future users, will be described.
3.3.1 Survey
Surveys are used to gather people’s opinions, attitudes, characteristics and previous experiences. The intention is not to get qualitative data from surveys, it is simply a way of understanding the participants. The importance is how the questions are framed in order for the answers to be quantified and that statistics can be drawn from it. Normally people do not want to spend time participating in surveys, which is why short-answer questions are vital. A few open-ended questions can be used in order to gain more insight, however they should not be excessive. Something that needs to be taken into consideration is that people might give answers that will please the interviewer or what they believe is the truth. Also, people’s opinions are constructed as they go through the survey, meaning they do not think long about the issue that is being presented. Moreover, questions can be misinterpreted or the participants might not want their behavior to be perceived as negative which can affect their answers. However, sensitive questions should be asked at the end, as the survey should not scare people off in the beginning. Keeping in mind that some responses may be challenging to interpret because of ambiguous answers. It can be important to conduct a small test of the survey with a couple of volunteers so that the questions can be refined (Muratovski, 2016).
3.3.2 Interviews
Interviews are done in order to get a better understanding of the user. Semi-structured interviews in particular, are a mix of structured and unstructured interviews. Meaning it contains open-ended questions as in an unstructured interview, but the interview is structured with preset questions as in structured interviews. The goal is to gather information on a particular topic but at the same time leave room for exploration. These types of interviews are used when there is previous knowledge about the subject, but more is needed in order to go further within the project. They are also used when observations cannot be made because of timing, privacy or other issues (Wilson, 2013). Online interviews give an advantage when the participants are situated far away, which also gives them a benefit of conducting the interviews in an environment of their choosing (Gruber et al., 2008). In order to structure the
22 interview, a guide is made so that the interviewer can follow the guide and make sure all parts that requires discussion will be covered (Wilson, 2013).
Methods like Photo Elicitation can be used when wanting to start a deeper dialogue. How it works is that pictures related to the topic is present to the person in question, then a discussion will be held about what they see on the image, what they think about it, if they relate and how they interpret it. This way it becomes easier to express their thoughts and talk about something that they possibly would not think of while being interviewed (Goodman, Kuniavsky and Moed, 2012).
When using user centric design, it is also important to sometimes be in the natural environment of where the product will be used. In this case, regarding online shopping, the environment changes because it is mostly done remotely on smart devices and computers. However, the interviews can be done in relaxed environments chosen by the users as it results in them feeling more comfortable when speaking (Abras et al., 2004).
Thinking aloud is a method where the user says their thoughts out loud, while performing a task (Jaspers et al., 2004). This is something that can be done during Photo Elicitation as well as when the participants are asked to demonstrate their shopping habits.
3.3.3 Cultural probes
Cultural probes are packages that are given to potential users. The packages are supposed to be included in their everyday life, in order to get to know them better. Cultural probes are used to get inspiration by users, however for this thesis it will be used to give an understanding into users lives around the topic without spectators. The packages originally included a camera, postcards, maps and photo albums. The original study was done on elderly people where they would take pictures of their everyday lives, pinpoint places on the maps, write answers to the questions on the postcards and provide photographs for an album in order to tell their story. However, the scope of the method might change for this project in order to tailor for online consumption by not using every item that was in the original package. The motivation behind is that mapping out places for example might not suite a thesis about online consumption and sustainability (Gaver, 1999).
23 3.3.4 Workshop & Brainstorming
A workshop called Future workshop (Biskjaer, Dalsgaard and Halskov, 2010) might be of interest for this project. Consisting of three phases, firstly “The critique phase” where you are supposed to discuss and state an issue. Secondly, the “Fantasy phase”, where the group finds solutions to a problem with no limitations or restrictions. Here the group is supposed to come up with solutions for the problem with no limitations of resources or constraints with technicality. The group get complete liberty in coming up with their solutions. The final phase is the “Implementation phase”, in which the group discuss and implement the solutions to reality and discuss how they could be real.
During “The implementation phase” the group should do an exercise called “Crazy 8” where they come up with eight variations of one solution and sketch them on a paper (Knapp, Zeratsky and Kowitz, 2016).
Brainstorming can also be a part of a workshop where the participants of the group are supposed to generate ideas on the topic, however brainstorming can also be used to discuss existing products. This would also be a non-judgemental environment in order for the participant to feel free to express how they feel and talk about their personal opinions (Wilson, 2013).
3.4 Interaction design principles
Interaction design principles are a set of guidelines or rules that takes the users experience into consideration when designing. They help create optimistic experiences with the product that is being designed. It encourages technology to serve human imagination and intelligence and not the other way around.
3.4.1 User Experience design
User experience design focuses on the experience of using the design, something that has been taken into consideration during the project in order to create good usability. The design should be considerate, it should be forthcoming by providing relevant information and knowledge (Cooper et al., 2014). Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that critical design (Bardzell et al., 2012) will also be a part of this project which is why it can collide with
24 normal design guidelines like showing information that the user is not ready to see (Cooper et al., 2014).
3.4.2 User Interface design
The function of design is important but so is the visuals. Using guidelines involving text, icons and colour is important for users because it gives them a good look and feel (Cooper et al., 2014). When looking at something more visually appealing it is can also be easier to use. If instructions are needed the user expects visual images and texts that are easy to read. Working with images and text can lead to that one or the other gets missed. That is why it is important to design them in a way so that they both get noticed (Petterson, 2002).
3.5 Prototyping
A prototype is a result of a design which is supposed to mimic how the final product could look like and by making it interactive users can test it out and designers can improve it. A prototype can be anything from a paper drawn interface to a developed software solution. Using prototyping as tool is beneficial for the project because it helps create a discussion with users and stakeholders in order to find out what could be done further. How does the designer’s thoughts about the solution differ from the users? Involving the target group in this process can help create a user friendlier high-fidelity prototype (Sharp, Preece and Rogers, 2011).
3.5.1 Low-Fidelity Prototype
A low-fidelity prototype is often done with paper or cardboard, in order to convey that it is not the finished product. It is easier to criticize for a user, because it does not look as too much time has been spent on it. They should be easy, cheap and quick to create, which also makes them easy to change (Sharp, Preece and Rogers, 2011). A prototype can be screens of the user flow and they can either be done on screen and printed out on paper or hand-drawn on paper. Altering a lo-fi prototype while testing it is easier than changing a hi-fi prototype, because features can be added as the prototype is being tested by drawing on the paper (Snyder, 2003).
25 3.5.2 High-Fidelity Prototype
High-fidelity prototypes are usually similar to the final product and interacting with them is easier. Different software gives designers the ability to create designs on screen which become high-fidelity prototypes. It is easier to navigate through a hi-fi than a lo-fi prototype because they are often tested on the same device as the intended use of it, making it easier to click around as it becomes more natural than pressing on a paper. However, hi-fi prototypes take longer to build, they are not as easy to criticize and people tend to comment on the aesthetics rather than the content. Changes are harder implemented as people tend to be satisfied when they see it because they think of it as the finished product (Sharp, Preece and Rogers, 2011).
3.6 Usability testing
Usability testing is a process that involves the future users of the solution. It is a form of research done on prototypes as described in chapter 3.7. The scope of the test and how many participants are needed depends on the complexity of the prototype. By testing a product or prototype you learn what parts needs to be improved. When designing for a user it is natural to test the product on a potential user, as they are experts in their subject they might discover issues that the designer does not see. When doing that, the designer eliminates or minimizes frustrations that the design might awake. By doing usability tests the designer can learn what is useful for the user, if the product is easy to acquire, if it is satisfying to use the product and if it provides efficiency in what the user needs to do (Rubin and Chisnell, 2008). During this project, the prototypes that will be created are to be tested in terms of usability, flow and visuals.
3.7 Ethics
This project took people’s economic differences into consideration and showed respect for how people describe their shopping experiences as it could be a sensitive subject regarding their economy. Not everyone has the same opportunities which is why the participants were not judged or degraded in any way. However, in order to get a wholesome balance within the research, the interviews was conducted with students, full time workers and people that are job searching. The participants came from varied background in order to get the most realistic
26 and substantial study. In order for the participants to understand their privacy rights they were all informed at the beginning of the interviews that their private information about economy would not be shared in the paper. Only their thoughts about their personal experiences with online shopping and sustainablity would be shared, and all participants agreed to the conditions. They had the opportunity to choose if the they wanted to be video or audio recorder or none of the above. They were also given the opportunity to sign a non disclosure agreement in conjuction with the recordings, however none of the participnats did (The Swedish research council, 2017). .
27
4. Design process
This chapter will describe the design process and also refer to the methods described in chapter three. Further the design process will be described resulting in the creation of a prototype that could potentially solve the problem of overconsumption. Additionally, drawing connections to the theories in chapter two and how they reflect the outcome of this process.
4.1 Field studies
In order to get a better understanding of people’s mindset on the subject and how they consume online today, field studies were conducted. The literature studies held provided insights in why people consume the way they do. However, in order to fully understand the target group further research have been done to confirm the theories presented in chapter two as to get a perspective of their consumption habits and their thoughts on sustainability. The field studies that were done during this process have been one survey, interviews, Cultural Probes and a workshop which all resulted in a final idea.
After every field study, data analyses were made in order to gather information and figure out what could be done thereafter. The analyses were made by categorizing answers and looking for similarities and most frequent responses (Baxter et al., 2015).
4.1.1 Survey
The purpose of the survey was to explore the interest in sustainability, regarding online consumption. Also investigating if there were any interest in further interviews, with focus on their regular consumption habits. The survey was formed so that it did not take long time to answer because people lose interest when surveys are long and require extensive answers (Muratovski, 2016). Basing it in “Yes” and “No” answers and one open-ended question regarding their thoughts on consumption which made it easy to quantify the answers. A small test was also done before the survey was uploaded publicly, which helped frame the questions better.
28 The survey was made using Google Forms and it was shared on social media, with the intention of reaching a larger crowd. In doing so more people were reached and therefor filled out the form (Morais et al., 2017). Also, Google Forms provides instant graphs which makes it easier to calculate statistics and draw conclusions.
The survey collected information about how often people consume online, what their favourite stores are, if they frequently check their e-mail for newsletters and promotions and if they have been influenced or affected by something on the internet that has made them complete an order (Appendix I). One, extensive questions was asked at the end, and that was if they had ever thought about their own consumption and in what way. The answers on that particular question was very mixed. Some people referred to buying and throwing a lot of food, others were tired of buying things they did not need but as online shopping has become so accessible today it makes it easier to buy things they do not need. One participant stated, “I consume a lot because I have a big interest but a little need for it”. This kind of mind-set can be a result of not having enough knowledge about what impacts consumption can have on the environment and the people on this planet (Hoek et al., 2017). Also, being affected by social media that constantly provides us with reasons to consume can evoke an interest, even when we do not need things (Abidin 2016 in De Veirman, Cauberge and Hudders, 2017). However, a lot of people answered that they are trying to minimize this form of behavior for economic reasons as well for the environment. Whether these are true facts or not, is difficult to determine as the survey is about consumption and people might answer in favour of the subject or present themselves as more sustainable than they are (Muratovski, 2016).
Out of 122 answers 93 of the participants were females and 29 of them were males, making the survey results uneven; however, it might also say something about which group consumes the most. Within the category of shopping clothes, furniture, interior and miscellaneous things the results were as follows: 53 out of 93 females shop a couple of times every month. Five out of 29 men shop online every month. Furthermore, 36 out of 93 females shop very rarely and 21 out of 29 men shop very rarely. Even though there is distinct difference between the number of females and males in total, the results show that there is a difference within the groups. This strengthens a study showing that females in the Western world buy more clothing than males (Claudio, 2007). Generally, the answers were easy to interpret and the statistics provided useful information. However, if the technology for the concept was known
29 prior to the survey, more statistics could be gathered during the survey. Since the survey was used for understanding users, the data that was gathered was rather general and not specific.
4.1.2 Interviews
As expected the survey led to people showing interest in being interviewed about the topic which was necessary in order to find out more about their consumption. The purpose of the interview was to gather information about who they were and what they do for a living, how often they visit online stores and what devices they use. Together with other open-ended question like reasons for their purchases, what clothes does for them, when they think of their own consumption and more (Appendix II). The interview was divided into four parts, the first part was to get to know the participants better, meaning easier questions were asked. The second part consisted of deeper questions to understand how they were thinking about consumption. The second to last part was a task where the participant went on their favourite website to find three items that they liked and three that they disliked while thinking aloud (Jaspers et al., 2004). All of the participants picked things they thought were pretty or ugly, and none of them looked at what material or where the item came from.
However this task was expected to give more than it actually did for the research. It was supposed to reflect the way people think when going online to shop, however most participants were stressed about choosing items and not taking too long doing it. The last task was Photo Elicitation which was to look at seven images containing screens
of clothes, wardrobes and one image of people working in what would be considered an unethical factory. When looking at the images the participants were asked to describe what they saw, felt and how they interpreted them (Kuniavsky, Goodman, Moed, 2012) by thinking
30 aloud (Figure 4.1). Using the think aloud method allowed participant to express whatever they were thinking in that moment, which resulted in broader discussions about the images (Jaspers et al., 2004). Altough, participants needed to be reminded to think aloud multiple times during the exercises. The Photo Elicitation method was done as described in chapter three and the result was quite similar among all participants (Kuniavsky, Goodman, Moed, 2012). Still it resulted in interesting discussions. An example was showing people a walk-in closet full of clothes, shoes and accessories and a normal size wardrobe (Figure 4.2). At first most participants wanted the big walk-in closet, but when being showed the normal sized wardrobe, they started to reflect if having the big one would truly be necessary. Some did not think that it would sincerely make them happier owning the excessive amounts of clothing. However, others would still want to own a big walk-in closet. This type of method allowed for discussion and reflection, it was of value as insights on how people can start to reflect over their own consumption. They could talk about their own experiences in comparison to the subject. Every interview was recorded with audio or video with participants consent and transcribed thereafter (Wilson, 2013).
31 However, in order to get a variation of participants, both students and full-time workers were interviewed, all being between the ages of 20 and 55. 11 out of 14 were between the ages 20 to 27 which meant that three of the participants were older. Also 11 of the participants were female and three were males. All of the interviews were done in person except for one that was done online using Facetime. Because the interview consisted of browsing the internet and looking at images, the Facetime interview could not be fully completed.
The results from the interviews was that the females shopped more clothes than men, which was explained in that the males wanted to try the item on before purchasing it. Shoes and equipment was preferred by them in the sense that they already knew their sizes and only bought cheap objects. Women on the other hand bought a lot more clothes and most of them did not bother to return the clothes if they were not as expected. However, as Schor (1999) mentioned in Carr et al. (2012) the creation of one’s identity had a lot to do with the clothes. When answering the question of what clothes meant to them, almost all participants answered that it raises the self-esteem. Clothes reflected of how they felt or who they are as a person and this was something important. The way other people interpret them seemed very important as they showed an image of themselves by wearing certain clothes.
Another interesting point was that all participants felt something negative when shown the last image of women working in a factory. It awakened feelings in every one of them and they all felt empathy and started talking about how that is the result of their continued consumption. But at the same time, they did not feel like they could do anything about it. Below are some other similarities that were found during the interviews (Figure 4.3).
32 4.1.3 Cultural Probes
A cultural probes kit was made for participants who would be comfortable enough to participate (Figure 4.4). The purpose of this method was to experience online shopping with them, without being around the participants. Further, understanding if there is a deeper reason for their consumption rooting in their childhood because of continued exposure to material things (Schmookler 2003 in Bigda-Peyton, 2004). Similar to the original cultural probes package, postcards were made (Gaver, 1997). Three post cards with questions on the back and images that had to do with the question, a camera, all volunteered to use their own smartphones for both convenience and effectivity. With it they would take a picture of the screen every time they went online to shop, or if they decided to purchase something. As well as a paper that they were supposed to fill out, every time they went online to buy something or when they merely browsed the online stores, as well as drawing how they felt after each session.
Figure 4.4. Digital version of the package, that the particpants were provided (except for the smart phone). All images used from Flickr.com (Flickr, 2018).
33 Three of the females from the interviews agreed to participate in this study, with a duration of a week. They did all of the tasks and the results were interesting. Online stores were visited at least three to four times a week, sometimes because they were in need of an item, others because of boredom or inspiration. Two of the participants played a lot with dolls when they were kids and in adulthood they visited online stores even though they did not need anything particular. The third participant liked to play with a toy register when she was a kid, but wrote that she did not find toys very important as a child. However currently, she visited online stores in search for a rug because she was currently moving into a new apartment. Nevertheless, any concrete conclusions about the connection between their childhood and their current consumption cannot be certainly acknowledged as the study was done during a period where one of them was in a moving situation and because of that she mostly shopped furniture and interior. The answers to the other two postcards was mostly feeling sorry for the boy working in the clothes factory and tips that favours lesser consumption, to the girl picking clothes. However, ovall the anwsers were quite ambigous, which is what is expected from a method like this. Still, some insights about how online shopping is present in their everyday life, was found. A negative aspect of the method was that the participants needed to be reminided of the task, since it was easily forgotten. That can depend on that people do not think a lot before shopping as it is something natural to their lives.
4.1.4 Workshop
After gathering and analysing the data from the survey, interviews and cultural probes, preparation for the workshop started. The intended purpose of the workshop was to discover ideas that could be solutions to the problem of overconsuming clothes and unnecessary things. The workshop was divided into two parts and diverse ideas were brought up. Since it was not yet concluded what the concept would be, only two related products were discovered at the time and discussed, which was the My Outfit application (My Outfit, 2017) and Vigga Svenssons subscription service (TEDx Talks, 2016). All three participants had previously been part of the interviews.
Part 1
As mentioned it was a combination of three different methods gathered into one workshop, although it did not follow the methods religiously and they were slightly changed to suite this
34 particular session. Starting off with the Future workshop the “critique phase” was changed by creating a feeling of empathy instead of discussing problems, since the issue had already been stated from the beginning. Along with the interviews and surveys the problem had already been confirmed. Nonetheless the first exercise was to write down on post-it notes, when they had done something and not gotten enough in return. Most of the participant wrote about previous employments that they had, which were very draining and unappreciative yet bad paid. During the second exercise, participants wrote down the last time they did something sustainable regarding clothes, and during the last exercise the purpose was to remember things we enjoyed which did not involve a purchase. These exercises were done as a warm up to the participants for future discussions, and make them connect somehow with people working with manufacturing clothes in developing countries.
Moving forward participants entered the “fantasy phase” where they were supposed to sketch how they would solve overconsumption with no restrictions what so ever. With no limitations, one could take the role of anyone resulting in a variety of different ideas. Some ideas were, increasing sales taxes on unsustainable clothes, introducing laws where companies would need to publicly display what factory their clothes are coming from. As well as teaching children in schools about the downsides of unsustainable and unethical clothing. Afterwards the participants discussed some questions of how they would encourage sustainability or stop the fictive need that companies are pushing on people today. At the end of this phase three realistic ideas was gathered and written down. The three ideas were:
Plugin for shopping
This idea was one that had been thought of before, but was not intended to be discussed with the participants until later in the workshop. However, one of the other participants came up with it during the “fantasy phase”. The idea would be some sort of plugin technology that one would install on their computer and when shopping online they would have the possibility of knowing if items was sustainable or not.
App that keeps track of your shopping
This application would be registered with one’s bank account and keep track of what they are shopping. If buying too much it would then ask the user to donate other pieces from their wardrobe before putting in new ones. If that was not done it would transfer money on saving accounts until “the right thing” was done.
35 Swap clothes
This would also be an application where one would swap clothes with friends or family or even strangers, with a possibility of borrowing clothes. This would give the user an insight into other wardrobes, that would otherwise be private, even if the user knows a person it is not always the case that their wardrobes are public.
The last phase was the “implementation phase” where the participants tried the Crazy 8, method and drew different variations of the three ideas (Knapp, Zeratsky and Kowitz, 2016). However, this method was also changed by drawing six variations in six minutes because of time constraints from the participants (Figure 4.5). After each session, we discussed what we had drawn and the overall of the idea, they all had some positive and negative aspects. An idea that came up for the plugin was to scan a QR code and display information on a mobile phone. Another idea was to have some sort of restriction setting for the clothes swapping app, so that only certain people could view a user’s wardrobe.
36 Part 2
The second part of the workshop was brainstorming about existing products and our thoughts on them and how we would make them more sustainable. One of the existing products was the app My Outfit that would serve as a digital wardrobe (My Outfit, 2017). Some changes that could be made to it was to implement the feature of swapping clothes and removing the todays outfit function. By doing so the app would be more sustainable and focus on reusing instead of consuming more.
The other idea that was discussed was the service created by Vigga Svensson (TEDx Talks, 2016). In order for the idea to suite the thesis it was changed to suite women that like to follow trends. Instead of baby clothes, women would receive sustainable high-quality trendy clothes in their right sizes for a period of time, before they would send them to the company (that stands behind the service) and receive a new batch. The participants discussed their thoughts on the idea, and if they themselves would use a service like that. Generally, the thoughts were positive, and they could probably see themselves use the service. Although a thought that was brought up during the discussion was; if a user would want to buy an item, would she be able to do that? Everybody agreed on that it could be a possibility but with a limitation of a certain amount of clothes. However, the reason for not going forward with the idea is because it did not leave enough room for digital interactivity which was the aim of this thesis.
The last part was discussing two ideas that did not yet exist. One of them being the plugin idea, which is why it was not discussed further. Another idea was an app that would be filled with things that people like to do, so when feeling the urge to shop one would go on the application to get inspired and do something else. The participants thought it was a good idea, but then the user would actively need to go in which might be something people could forget. The chances that any of them would do that was not particularly high, they implied. Overall the brainstorming session went well expect for being done in a bit of a stressful situation since the participants started to run out of time, although it resulted in the knowledge of how long a workshop can truly take.
As a result, the idea that would become a prototype was the plugin idea because it was the one that would directly address the issue before it would be made. The app managing user’s money could feel personal and people might not trust an app that could manage money because of one’s consumption habits. The clothes swapping app was appreciated during the
