ROLE
UX/UI Designer | Team Project (with William Briggs, UX + Interior Design)
September-December 2022
DURATION
MOTIONLOOP
A service design project that aims to explore the place-based interactions within Share-Repair-Reuse initiatives and the circular economy of materials in the film industry of Metro Vancouver.
To limit inefficiencies, minimize waste, extend the product life cycle, and close gaps within the material system.
THE
GOAL
There is no standard way to deal with textile waste in the film industry, and it is a mystery what happens to the textile scraps after they are placed inside the bins.
THE
PROBLEM
MotionLoop is a non profit organization where you can drop off unwanted fabric, shop, rent for costumes and textile props. Our goal is to work towards a more sustainable future by extending the product life cycle.
Building long lasting relationship with the community
Extending textile life by repair, renting, collective space and incentive
Using deadstock fabric to create new costume pieces
RESEARCH
Known worldwide, Vancouver is the third largest Film & TV production centre in North America. The film and television industries process a remarkable amount of material, and for a very long time Metro Vancouver lacked a facility or network to store these used materials and distribute them back within the community.
FILM INDUSTRY IN VANCOUVER
A digital/analogue map that shows process of investigation, including search terms/criteria, sources, locations, and questions, given the scenario: I have a huge pile of used textiles (sheets and towels and worn-out cloth). I don’t have any use for this material - what can I do with it?
The Recycling Alternative works with businesses of all sizes in the Lower Mainland to provide local, convenient, and economic recycling options.
Key Insight: Consider where materials come from, where they will go, and how might we work within a small-scale solution and push to have a large-scale impact to our cities and the emerging green, circular economy?
In-person site visit to The Recycling Alternative, Vancouver
How is waste currently treated in the film industry?
DISCOVERY
FINDINGS / PAIN POINTS
No standard way to deal with recycling: Costumes and props can be distributed among the crew or donated, but it depends on individual people in the show to make choices.
What happens to the donations? There are many programmes and bins for textile scraps, but it is a mystery of what happens to them after the textile is placed inside the bins.
Finding multiple pieces of the same costume: Costumes have different levels of breakdown, and production team needs to find at least 5-10 copies of the same costume for a single cast.
ECOSYSTEM MAP
Our Social Fabric offers a very similar service working with deadstock fabric. However, they hold a stronger relationship with the fashion industry (sponsorship for the Wilson School of Design)
IDEATE
Early versions of the prototype offered the chance to experiment with various information structures and ideas.
Five participants: 3 in-person, 2 online
CARDSORTING
Activity:
In an open card sort, participants sort cards into categories that make sense to them and label each category themselves.
The Goal:
To understand how users perceive the content on the service website can help us organize it in a way that aligns with their mental models.
Main Findings:
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Consider having more information in the footer rather than just the copyright
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Prefer more graphical elements (image and videos)
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How can customer search for their needs on the website? How does sizing work?
IA SITEMAP
Sketching hierarchical models, a top-down approach that starts with high-level information categories and then narrows down into more detailed topics.
What is the best way for customers and staff to find the items they are looking for? (exploring various filter layouts for the best accessibility needs)
STYLE EXPERIMENTATION
Testing the design direction with colour and typography, we noted from user testing that the design felt more suited for a luxurious photo booth shop rather than a textile-related brand. The colours felt too muted and lacked energy.
3D INTERIOR SPACE
STYLE GUIDE
A modern, energetic, and warm style guide that aims to convey a sense of excitement and enthusiasm while still maintaining a clean and professional look. The design elements work together to create a cohesive and visually striking brand identity that stands out and captures the attention of viewers.
IMPACT
We saw an opportunity to accelerate the circular economy by making reusable materials available to the film industry, schools, community theatre groups, artists, and charities, through homes and businesses. Ultimately, this saves filmmakers and artists money on both ends of the production, by not having to purchase some of their necessary materials and by reducing their waste disposal fees. Our service follows the Real Green protocol at Creative BC, which demonstrates three degrees of sustainability in vendor operations based on green performance and reliability.
♲ Level 1: are sustainable businesses that have established a consistent level of sustainability in their business operations and practices.
♲ ♲ Level 2: are businesses that have an integrated sustainability strategy approach to their business operations and practices.
♲ ♲ ♲ Level 3: are businesses who have demonstrated a full sustainability approach to all business operations and practices.
NEXT STEP
How can we communicate the rental model to customer, and what are the specific benefits available to returning members?
Further testing is required on the interior space of the work area for back-end staff members.
To accommodate high demand and improve accessibility, we can provide a truck service where we bring the costumes to the customers instead of requiring them to come to us.