Stitching Together a Greener Future: An Approach to Design Mobile Applications that Supports Sustainable Actions

Abstract

With an increasing amount of world-wide waste, a focus on how we can increase circular consumption is necessary. As the clothing industry is wasteful and makes up for about 10% of the world’s CO2 emissions, it is not only a relevant field to improve, but also a field in which anyone can contribute by developing more sustainable clothing habits. As previous studies highlight mobile technologies for supporting new behaviour, this study explores how mobile applications can support young adults in choosing sustainable clothing practices (SCPs) through a double diamond process with participatory design activities.

Participants of the target group were inquired in interviews, uncovering that a lack of creativity and motivation, and thinking that their skills were not sufficient hindered them from choosing SCPs. By inviting participants to define problem statements in a defining workshop, and to brainstorm possible solutions to meet these problem statements in a design workshop, the author has combined these ideas to a feasible prototype for a mobile application. The application has been designed by applying persuasive design principles and gamification elements according to relevant literature.

Participants of the target group were inquired in interviews, uncovering that a lack of creativity and motivation, and thinking that their skills were not sufficient hindered them from choosing SCPs. By inviting participants to define problem statements in a defining workshop, and to brainstorm possible solutions to meet these problem statements in a design workshop, the author has combined these ideas to a feasible prototype for a mobile application. The application has been designed by applying persuasive design principles and gamification elements according to relevant literature.