A circular clothing rental platform for short-term needs
REWARDROBE
Type
Personal Project
user experience design & user interface design
Time
03/2024
Location
Aarhus, Denmark
Inspired by my exchange experience in Aarhus, this project introduces ReWardrobe, a sustainable clothing platform that fosters fashion circularity through rental and donation, helping users lighten their travel load, connect with others, enhance their experience, and support resource sustainability.
FINAL WORK
01 BACKGROUND
As Europe's tourism industry rapidly expands and backpacker culture rises, more travelers choose to explore the European continent with their backpacks. By exploring the motivations behind this type of travel and the challenges it faces, I began to think more about the relationship between backpacking and clothing rental.
European Context for Travelers
Backpacker culture is tied to the European context. For young travelers, backpacking offers a close-to-nature, liberating mode of travel that transcends the constraints of traditional tourism.
The Current Challenges Faced by Backpackers
Backpacker need both lightweight portability and comfortable and adequate supplies.
When looking closely at what backpackers carry, clothing makes up the largest proportion in terms of volume and weight.
Clothing is the most space-consuming category of items in a backpack, and it is also relatively replaceable. Therefore, I believe clothing rental is suitable for backpacker travel.
The Current Status of Clothing Rental
The market currently has some platforms offering clothing rental services, which provide valuable features to learn from.
Design Opportunities
After learning about backpackers and the related market, how can we use interaction design to help backpackers have a better travel experience by providing clothing rental services?
· What types, brands, or features of clothing or other travel-related items should we offer?
· Who could be our collaborators and stakeholders? Should we only collaborate with brands, or can we also allow individuals to be providers?
· How should we design the process of picking up and returning clothes to ensure convenience and suitability for short-term travel?
· Should we incorporate offline touchpoints to allow tourists to directly access the clothing?
· If we decide to include them, which scenarios should we select?
02 Design Research
Clothing Needs Map
Focusing on backpackers as the core users, I researched their clothing and travel-related needs.
Stakeholder Insights
I interviewed three potential stakeholders to understand their needs in order to consider how to connect them into a clothing rental system.
User Journey Map
I identified key stages and touchpoints in backpackers' journeys where they interact with clothing rental services and analyzed the opportunities available.
03 prototype
The information architecture and low-fidelity prototype helped me organize my ideas and refine the user flow effectively.
Information Structure
Low Fidelity
04 Test
After completing the mobile app and clothing recycling station, I tested them with both beginner and experienced travelers around me, using observation, task-based testing, and A/B testing.
Through process observation, I identified the steps where users felt confusion and hesitation, focused on key pain points, and discovered needs beyond the expected flow.
In the next iteration, I focused on emphasizing the product's features, highlighting organic clothing circulation and the overall experience of travel-based social interaction.
Clothing Rental Function-Focused
Clothing Organic Cycle-Focused
Travel & Social Interaction-Focused
05 Key Adjustments
Based on insights from the tests, I summarized the issues and made adjustments to the following areas:
06 Clothing Recycling Station
Furthermore, I designed a physical station, focusing on the connection between clothes and users, as well as the handling of clothes after they are returned.
Location and Theme
Stations will be placed in accessible and high-traffic areas. Stations are divided into regular stations and themed stations. Themed stations are set based on geographic locations.
Overall Usage Cycle
07 HIGH FIDELITY
After completing the mobile app and the clothing recycling station, I tested it with three people in Aarhus. During the process, I primarily used process observation, along with methods like task-based testing and A/B testing on specific pages.
08 story board
I created a storyboard that follows the journey of a traveler, showcasing his transformation from a renter to a donor on the ReWardrobe platform.
Users can not only lighten their travel load but also make new friends, enhancing their travel experience while contributing to sustainable fashion.
Choose your location and set a range to start exploring.
Discover items using search, map mode, or hidden Surprise Boxes.
On the item page, explore the Item Journey—stories shared by travelers.
Select your items and place your order.
On the order page, you can view all your order details, including the station address and the pickup QR code you’ll need to show.
Engage with donors and other community members—your journey will be filled with unexpected surprises and more fun!
Tap on “My Wardrobe,” add your unused clothes or related items, and drop them off at the nearest station.
Congratulations, you’re now part of the ReWardrobe organic cycle!
