Duration
3 Weeks
My Role
UX Researcher, UI/UX Designer, iOS Developer
Project Type
Apple Foundation Program Project
Project Focus
iOS Mobile Application Design and Development
Background
I joined UTS's Apple Foundation Program in November 2024. During this three-week, challenge-based product design program, our team followed the Double Diamond methodology, refining our core values and reframing the problem to align with our goal.
Problem
There are countless reasons to protect our environment and many ways to contribute. To narrow the focus and create a more actionable design direction, we decided to concentrate on fashion sustainability.
While sustainable fashion is gaining attention, many people still hesitate to reuse or repurpose clothing. At the same time, the fashion industry continues to thrive—people are still spending money on new clothes, reflecting a consumer mindset that often values novelty over sustainability. This highlights a gap between what we know and how we act—one that our design seeks to bridge.
Solution
An app that helps users make the most of their existing outfits through a visualised digital wardrobe
We designed a mobile application with two key features to address our users' needs:
Visualised Digital Wardrobe
A smart, visual inventory of the user’s current wardrobe that helps raise awareness of how many outfits they already own—discouraging unnecessary or duplicate purchases.Inspiration Dresser
An outfit suggestion feature that provides styling ideas based on the clothes users already have. It also helps save time when deciding what to wear each morning by offering outfit recommendations tailored to the weather and occasion.
Diverging and Converging to Refine the Challenge Statement
By asking ourselves a series of essential questions to explore opportunities and challenges in improving the ‘Environment.’ Through a quick voting activity, we selected “How can we make reusability fun?” as our key focus question.
User Interview
Reluctance Toward Second-Hand and Lack of Wardrobe Visibility Cause Impulse Buying
Combining insights from all interviews, we concluded that second-hand clothing is not suitable for many people. However, we discovered an interesting new insight: impulse buying is a major issue, directly opposing the principles of fashion sustainability.
Desk Research
Reusing your own clothes and avoiding impulse purchases is a simple yet effective way to contribute to fashion sustainability.
Australia generates 300,000 tonnes of clothing waste yearly, with most ending up in landfills or exported to developing countries.
Australians buy 56 new clothing items per person each year, ranking among the highest in the world.
People wear only 10% of their clothes regularly, and 60% are discarded within a year.
Ideation and Solution Define
Our solution targets fashion-conscious university students aged 18–28 who care about the environment and want to reduce fashion waste. However, they often struggle to apply sustainable habits in daily life due to their busy routines and a lack of convenient, practical options.
We used the Lotus Blossom ideation method to explore ideas around our problem. Given the time constraints, we had to let go of some great ideas and instead prioritise the core feature that best supports our target users and addresses their needs.
Lo-Fi Design
Bringing the Idea to a Tangible Solution
Before jumping into Figma, we knew we had to align our vision—especially since not everyone on the team was a designer. We tried different ways to express ideas, from collages to quick sketches—whatever helped bring our thinking to life. To stay grounded in our core features, we mapped out flows based on three main user stories. This helped us stay focused and made sure we were all aligned before moving into high-fidelity prototyping.
Design - Hi-Fi Prototype
Main Features - Digital Wardrobe
Users can visualise their wardrobe, supporting qualitative analysis.
For example, they can clearly see how many jackets they own and identify the most common colours in their clothing collection.
Moreover, this database powers the Smart Dresser feature, providing outfit inspiration based on the clothes they already have.
Design - Hi-Fi Prototype
Smart Dresser
With this feature, user can get new inspiration on how to match their existing clothes.
The main purpose is to let them know with the exisiting outfits, they can already have many combination that they don't need more.
Besides, it can also help them safe time before they go to work, set them free from not knowing how to pari their
Final Pitching & Takeaway
Let's celebrate!
After three intensive weeks of app development, we had the opportunity to present our product to the Apple team and the teaching staff. Presentation is one of the most essential skills a designer should possess — it’s about clearly, logically, and convincingly communicating ideas, and showing users that we are creating something meaningful and impactful.
The biggest highlight from these three weeks was definitely the communication and collaboration within our group. Each of us brought unique strengths and expertise to the table, and in a cross-functional team like this, active listening, empathy, and open-mindedness were key. I’ve realised that the best way to grow is to grow alongside teammates who share the same values and goals.
Another valuable takeaway was the power of reflection and feedback. In our daily sessions, we presented small sprints to mentors and other teams, receiving rapid feedback that helped us iterate quickly. The process of self-reflection also allowed me to challenge myself and improve with greater self-awareness.
