Alter Eco

Every Piece Has A Past. Let's Give It A Future.

Project Summary

A 10-week UX case study exploring how conscious consumers and artisans can co-create lasting value from existing garments. As Project Lead and Lead Prototype Designer, I directed research, shaped the product vision, and built the MVP's high-fidelity interactions.

  • Validated early traction for circular-fashion demand
  • Proved viability of artisan-consumer matchmaking model

Project Overview

Alter Eco is a platform that reconnects people with the garments they already own — transforming what might be discarded into one-of-a-kind pieces of craft. The project explores how collaboration between consumers and independent artisans can make upcycling desirable, not dutiful. Our 10-week MVP focused on reducing decision friction and building trust in custom sustainability — a foundation for circular fashion that feels aspirational and effortless.

The Challenge

Each year, over 92 million tons of textile waste are produced globally, yet only about 12 percent is recycled. Fast fashion has shortened garment lifespans and trained consumers to replace instead of repair. Our hypothesis: if we lower decision friction and celebrate visible craft, discarded pieces can become personal favorites again.

Research & Insights

We surveyed and interviewed participants across sustainability forums, Discord communities, and fashion subreddits. Three themes emerged: many shoppers care about ethics; a surprising portion already know basic repair; and most will try new skills when the path is clear.

Personas

Conscious Consumer seeks ease, inspiration, and credible partners. Independent Artisan wants steady leads, clear briefs, and a smooth collaboration flow.

Product Architecture & Key Flows

Information Architecture

  • Client: Home → Discover → Artisan Profile → Request/Message
  • Lab → New Brief → Mockup Review → Approve
  • Account → Orders → Care Notes / Upcycle Story
  • Artisan: Home → Leads → Brief Details → Quote
  • Projects → Milestones → Mockups → Delivery
  • Profile → Portfolio → Craft Specialties / Badges

Core Flow Highlights

Clients begin with a gentle onboarding that sets distance and style preferences, then shortlist artisans. In the Lab, a structured brief captures garment condition, goals, and references—reducing back-and-forth. Artisans reply with an approach and a quick mock, and both sides align before work begins.

Design Process

Mid-Fidelity

We explored screens for onboarding, discovery, the Lab brief, and project messaging. Early concepts emphasized pill headers and friendly curves to keep the experience simple and humane.

Testing & Iteration

Usability sessions clarified preference options (so artisans know what they're working with), added social links for credibility, introduced client/artist toggles, and established mockup checkpoints to set expectations.

Marketing Validation

To test audience resonance, we ran a small-scale digital campaign designed to validate early interest in AlterEco's concept. Using only the minimum viable resources, the campaign generated measurable traction — reaching potential users, prompting engagement, and confirming that sustainability-driven messaging connects with a real audience.

Impressions

4.73k

Google Ads campaign

Clicks

215

Style + sustainability performed best

Message Direction

Style-forward

Ethical angle reinforced conversion

These early signals, achieved with a lean investment, validated that our target users are actively seeking accessible upcycling experiences. This traction provided confidence to move forward with a broader prototype and partnership testing phase.

High-Fidelity Prototype

The interface uses eco-inspired tones (sage, sky, paper) with pill headers and soft elevation. Interactions foreground collaboration and craft rather than transactions.

Accessibility & Quality

Our priority was thoughtfulness: making Alter Eco feel welcoming and easy for everyone. We focused on small, human details—clear labels, generous spacing, and predictable interactions—because those quality-of-life touches help people feel confident from the first tap.

Interactive elements were designed with accessibility in mind: buttons large enough to tap comfortably on any screen, text with strong color contrast, and motion kept gentle—or turned off if a person's device asks for less movement. In the Lab, fields appear step by step so the task feels focused and never overwhelming.

Practical Standards We Aim For

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
We target a 4.5:1 color contrast between text and background so most people can read comfortably, including in bright light or on older screens.
Touch target size (Apple/Google guidance)
Buttons and controls are designed to be at least 44x44 pixels (or have padding to reach it) so they're easy to tap without mis-taps.
Reduced motion preference
If a device indicates “prefers reduced motion”, decorative animation is minimized or skipped. Transitions stay calm so the interface never feels jumpy.
Clear hierarchy & semantics
We use meaningful headings and labels so assistive tech can navigate the page and so sighted users can scan quickly.

What We Observed

During testing, small changes made a big difference: simpler wording, steadier spacing, and a single, confident Find a Match call-to-action reduced hesitation. People moved faster and commented that the experience felt calm, reliable, and easy to follow.

Honest note: These are the standards we design to meet. The high-fidelity prototype reflects the intent (contrast, sizing, gentle motion), and the coded version will implement these behaviors fully.

Outcomes & Next Steps

We validated interest in artisan matching and a clearer path to upcycling. The structured Lab brief shortened cycles and made pricing/mocks more transparent. Next, we'll expand artisan badges, pilot shipping kits, and introduce a “starter projects” library to inspire first commissions.