Designing a scalable service ecosystem that helps users extend garment life through creative reuse

For my HCDE service design course, I led the branding, experience design, and prototyping of a digital platform that empowers people to extend the life of their clothing. We created a scalable service ecosystem that connects users with artisans to co-create upcycled garments by streamlining commissions, inspiration, and collaboration to support sustainable fashion habits.

People often hold onto clothes they no longer wear but can’t let go of. Fast fashion encourages disposal over preservation, leaving meaningful garments stuck in closets. At the same time, skilled artisans struggle to find work that values their craft. There’s a gap between what people care about and what the fashion system supports.

ReThread is a digital service that helps people upcycle meaningful garments by connecting them with skilled artisans. It offers a personal and sustainable way to extend clothing life through creative collaboration.

For artisans, ReThread provides a platform to grow their craft, gain visibility, and work with clients who value sustainability and craftsmanship which encourages a more circular fashion system.

We all have clothes that carry meaning. But in a fast-paced fashion system built on disposability, it’s hard to hold onto what matters. As more people rethink their impact on the planet, there’s growing interest in sustainable fashion that feels personal, creative, and lasting. This project explores how we might help people reconnect with their clothes by turning them into something new instead of throwing them away.

✦ Artisans want to share their craft, preserve culture, and build community.
✦ They seek spaces where their creativity is respected and their work has purpose.

✦ Brand trust and perception shape how people care for clothing.
✦ Interest in secondhand and repair is growing, revealing a shift toward more meaningful and sustainable fashion choices.

✦ Leading platforms center maker stories and local values to build trust.
✦ We identified gaps around emotional connection, creative freedom, and matchmaking.

Activity 1: Designing a “Future Fit”
Participants imagined a 2045 future where clothing was scarce. Using art supplies, they designed a “Future Fit” that reflected their values, selected three keywords, and discussed essentials, heirlooms, and items they’d struggle to give up.

Key Takeaways:
✦ Men focused on climate functionality (e.g. waterproofing, breathability)
✦ Women prioritized versatility, layering, and timeless style
✦ Heirlooms varied by gender: utility vs. personal/cultural meaning
✦ Shared values included comfort, durability, and quality

This helped us identify how users, artisans, and the platform interact, revealing gaps in trust, collaboration, and support across the journey.

Mapping the upcycling journey surfaced moments of uncertainty and opportunity, helping us design for confidence, clarity, and engagement.

The blueprint revealed breakdowns in communication, unclear responsibilities, and areas where the platform could better support both users and artisans.

I led the visual identity and built a flexible design system to ensure consistency while making it easy for non-designers to contribute and collaborate. The system includes accessible colors, intuitive components, and reusable patterns that support both inspiration and usability across the platform.

✦ Co-designing can be fun and engaging with participants. This project taught me that co-design is not just about asking people to design but it’s about creating space for stories, emotions, and unexpected insights to emerge. I had a lot of fun designing creative activities and watching participants open up through drawing their thoughts, conversation, and shared reflection.

✦ Designing for a service means thinking beyond the end user. It requires understanding the full ecosystem including other people, tools, and workflows involved. It means designing for the relationships and touchpoints that hold it all together, the "arrows" between steps.