EcoThreads sustainable fashion app
spring 2025
Most fashion apps and websites offer only one kind of product - either new or secondhand. These two markets exist separately, leaving buyers in a black-and-white system. EcoThreads blends these markets while simultaneously educating users on the sustainability of different fibers, using smart algorithms to balance the types of fibers being sold.
For this project I collaborated with Morgan Brown and Georgia Weeden!
branding
I was tasked with creating the branding for EcoThreads. We wanted to steer away from using green to represent sustainability because it felt too transactional for the brand's values; we wanted EcoThreads to make thinking sustainably more approachable! Below is our inspiration board, which features lots of textures and patterns that are light and airy.
With the wordmark, I knew I wanted something light and elegant. I loved the look of a light condensed serif for the headers, and used Akzidenz Grotesk for the body copy and subheaders for more legibility. The contrast between the widths of these two worked really well.
Initially I had the idea of using the classic heart icon to represent your "likes" also being sustainable, but the form didn't fit the look of the typography. I moved onto a hanger icon and loved the way its shape worked with the elegant type. Then I experimented with different stroke styles and found one I loved!
Evolution of the logo.
For color I blended a jewel toned emerald green with some more saturated colors like neon yellow-green to modernize the typical sustainable look. I also worked with soft pinks and blues to create a pretty full spectrum of colors to be used together in both low and high contrasts.
Photography really made the brand come to life! I loved messing with photo editing and color to create just the right brand look. I focused on textile patterns, florals, and fashion photoshoots.
algorithm
Something I noticed when researching sustainable fibers and garments was that there really isn't one kind of fiber with a perfect life cycle. Instead, there were positives and negatives to many different fibers, and cradle-to-cradle cycles work well when sales and uses of different kinds of fabrics are more balanced. As a feature of the app, I wrote an algorithm to take data from user's recent purchases to determine which fibers need to be sold more so we can better replicate the balance using EcoThreads.
how it works
1. When a user makes a search for a type of garment, first the algorithm sifts through data from recent purchases to determine what fibers need to be sold more and which are more long-lasting/durable.
2. Fibers are ranked according to this design using a popularity score ranking.
3. The program generates 50 search results (or inputs them from a given file) of garments labeled by their title as shown on the app and the dominant fiber content i.e. “Black top”, “cotton"
4. The results are sorted by their dominant fibers using the popularity score ranking, recommending least currently popular threads first.
app interface (by morgan)
Millions of online clothing marketplaces, websites, and apps exist for both new and secondhand clothing – but there’s not crossover in these two markets.
Additionally, many clothing marketplace websites either cater to an older demographic or boast price points that are outside of a typical college student’s budget.
WHAT WE WANT:
A marketplace that combines product from the top retailers in both new and thrifted garments. Elimination of the need to conduct outside research to verify the sustainability of a garment before purchase. Recommendations for similar thrifted garments to eliminate the need to search across resale sites.
return center (by georgia)
Georgia rendered a storefront in Revit dedicated to in-person returns and the reselling of returned products, reducing landfill waste and minimizing the emissions and packaging associated with shipping returns.
HOW IT WORKS:
1. Shop on the EcoThreads app and order your desired products
1. Shop on the EcoThreads app and order your desired products
2. Try on the clothing from your shipments and decide if any returns are necessary
3. Gather up your returns with their original packaging materials and head to the EcoThreads Storefront
4. Recycle the packaging at the correct station and enter the returns line to return your items
5. The employee will determine the condition of the items (faulty/damaged or eligible for resale) and choose whether it will be donated locally for up-cycling or if it will get put on the resale rack for a slight discount
6. Browse the returned retail area for your next purchase at a great price!
