Sleeve

Team: Victor Tran, Jocelyn Park, Evelyn Kim, Anh Hyunh, Steven Vo, Gary Phan

Timeline: Summer 2023 to Present

Tools used: Figma, Stripe, React, Google Analytics, Adobe Illustrator

Role: UX Designer, Brand Designer, Frontend Engineer

🏆 Goals

1. Create a platform that offers affordable sustainable fashion options for students
2. Reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion through accessible alternatives
3. Provide transparency about clothing origins and production methods

📈 Non-Goals and other considerations:

• Competing directly with established fast fashion retailers on price alone
• Building an inventory management system for partner brands
• Developing a proprietary payment processing system

⚠️ Problem: Fast fashion is affordable but environmentally harmful

Students often face financial constraints that limit their ability to purchase sustainable clothing, leading them to opt for more affordable but environmentally harmful fast fashion options. Research indicates that fast fashion contributes significantly to global emissions, yet students, burdened by substantial student loans, often have no choice but to purchase from these brands due to affordability.

✉️ Context: Sustainable fashion needs to be accessible

By creating a platform that offers discounts on sustainable brands, we can empower students to make environmentally conscious choices without financial strain. Making sustainable options more affordable is crucial to driving widespread adoption.

🎨 Searching for product identity

The original product was a chrome extension focued on labeling clothing products a sustainability rating. The lack of transparency in each company's production practices made developing our rating index more challenging. Therefore we decided to pivot to an online eCommerce marketplace for rising brands for a more structured business model.

💭 Why:

To align product vision and figure out how to develop a meaningful revenue strategy for the company.

📚 Learnings and Decisions made

• Chrome extensions are not high enough impact products that we can define our business around
• Websites could translate our business concept to an online platform we could build upon
• Developing a community is important to building brand loyalty and momentum

🔎 Brand exploration

Our team worked with Cornell UX Design Club (CUxD) to develop initial explorations for our company's website. The primary goal was to develop a cohesive visual identity to communicate our values of sustainability, transparency, and accessibility.

💭 Why:

An intentional brand establishes essential trust required to build an engaged userbase.

📚 Learnings

• Consistency is key to develop a cohesive experience for users
• Branding should transform how users understand and feel about the company
• Brand voice should be educational without preaching about sustainability

🍥 Learning through prototypes

Design iterations with wireframes helped us test key user journeys to optimize the experience for shoppers.

💭 Why:

To validate our assumptions about how students discover and purchase sustainable fashion, and to identify friction points in the conversion funnel.

📚 Learnings and Decisions made

• Product detail pages need clear sustainability credentials to build trust
• Filtering options by price range is crucial for budget-conscious students
• Educational content should be integrated into the shopping flow rather than separated

💬 User Feedback

We interviewed over 15 college students about their shopping habits and received the following feedback:

1. Price transparency matters most
   Students want to clearly understand why sustainable options cost more and what value they're getting in return.

2. Brand storytelling builds connection
   Users connect more deeply with brands when they understand their mission and production processes.

3. Student discounts are essential
   Even small percentage discounts make sustainable options feel more accessible and show brands care about students.

4. Mobile checkout must be frictionless
   Any complexity in the purchasing process significantly increases abandonment rates.

💡 Solutions Implemented

1. Stripe Integration: Implemented to optimize the checkout experience with saved payment methods and one-click purchasing.

2. Custom Profiles: Developed personalized shopping experiences that track sustainability impact of purchases.

3. Google Analytics: Integrated to understand user behavior and optimize conversion paths.

💥 Impact:

Our initial launch resulted in partnerships with 12 sustainable brands and over 500 student sign-ups in the first month. Average order value was 22% higher than projected.

⭐ What's Next?

We're continuing to expand our brand partnerships and developing a loyalty program that rewards sustainable shopping choices. Future plans include a carbon footprint calculator for each purchase and a community platform for sustainable fashion enthusiasts to share styling ideas and product recommendations.