Team 2 – Feedback
Our project will be a Google Chrome extension, which will enable the people who add it to their browser to know when they are supporting fast fashion. This will happen by having a message/ad/picture pop up on their screen which will serve both as a reminder and therefore create a conscious idea of what they are doing and how they are supporting fast fashion as well as supply information about fast fashion.
Would you install this Chrome extension in your computer?
| For sure! | 4 |
| I probably would | 4 |
| Probably not | 3 |
| Very unlikely | 4 |
How would you rate your interest in the topic?
| Very interesting | 6 |
| Interesting | 6 |
| Somewhat interesting | 2 |
| Not at all interesting | 1 |
Which features should be included in the extension for people to want to install it?
| Here’s one perspective from a potential target market (I love extensions, and I have many ethical extensions installed). I would suggest including benefits to the extension that go beyond simply telling people not to buy fast fashion. I would not install this extension because it would be the equivalent of asking someone to follow me around and scold me for making poor choices. I know that I make poor choices. I don’t WANT to buy things off of Amazon or from Walmart. However, finding alternatives is what I struggle with. I vowed at the beginning of the pandemic to not default to Amazon, but the truth is that my hard drive broke yesterday, and no other online store could get me the cable and hard drive I needed, in the time frame I needed it. For fashion, I regularly visited thrift stores and had a record of not purchasing any new, unused clothes for three years in a row. However, the pandemic has made that experience much, much more difficult. Now I have to weigh the impact of environmental damage against potentially bringing home a deadly virus to my family. Getting a notification on a website that I shouldn’t be buying this product (I already know this) would create feelings of defensiveness, and paired with messaging on how this purchase is destroying the world (I also know this) would also create despair. It would be a very disempowering experience. And, I would still need a shirt. |
| A disclaimer on being a conscious shopper |
| Easy to install Should try to “evangelize” those who are not conscious of the issue |
| You are telling me what ‘not’ to do, but can you help direct me to where I should shop. I could see getting frustrated if it kept popping up and then saying forget it. |
| ‘- why target just fast fashion? I think the price of the clothes do not always support sustainability. – I thought when I bought jeans with recycled plastic bottles I was doing something good but I recently learned that the from a decomposition standpoint, pure cotton is better. – could you provide insights on where to recycle clothes or get second hand clothes – what about pop up that provides an alternative site for more sustainable clothes?’ |
| Users should have a clear idea of why they should install this extension. Why is it beneficial to them to have it? If they are faithful customers of these brands, your messages should be persuasive, providing alternatives and/or ways to mitigate the impact of fast fashion. If you can’t stop them, at least make them think twice and maybe measure their purchase in how many trees they should be planting to offset their carbon footprint. 😉 |
| A list of the most “Sustainable” and “Socially Conscious” Brands and why |
| Don’t even know what this is maybe I missed the intro though |
| A database that provides alternative sources to shop at, which are environmentally friendly, and fair to the employees that work there. |
| the global and local facts about fast fashion |
| As a rule, I refuse to install extensions on my computer unless they are critical to my operating system and are extremely well known. I view the risk to my computer much too great. |
| Statistics (with sources listed) that point out the risks of fast fashion. Redirection to a site that sells sustainable fashion. Links to articles or videos. Perhaps in addition to an extension you could create a youtube channel or newsletter to subscribe to. |
Any other comments or suggestions that can help us further develop our project.
| There’s a huge need for help with ethical shopping. And, there’s a huge consumer base who’s interested and willing to pay for it. You are absolutely on the right track with identifying this! But, the question “Which features should be included in the extension for people to want to install it” is not quite the right question to ask. The question should be, “What is the problem that I want my app to solve for consumers?” By the way, you should check out this project: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/your-arbor-sustainable-sh/ejhfoibjcfpbbeblhjjkicjeginidnni It came from a very similar intention of your plugin. It might be useful to explore how they handle the “you shouldn’t buy this” (disempowerment) vs. “here’s what you could buy instead” (empowerment). Then, think about what you could do differently, and even better than these guys to develop your solution. Great idea, good luck! |
| I feel this would be a very valuable tool to help raise awareness around what and how we are consuming. Through this project, it can raise the audience/clients to be conscious buyers. |
| Great day to tackle the problem! |
| I would wonder about the privacy angle. Everything one downloads these days seem to gather data – does this a.) tell me up front about my privacy issues/data use and b.) does it track any user information? |
| ‘- I have used examples about the amount of water that is used to make clothes to make a point about water consumption so I am conscience of the point that you are trying to make. However, do more expensive clothes make less of an impact or do more expensive clothes last longer so if I wear them until they wear out that is better than fast fashion. – do you know that your target audience lacks knowledge or are they influenced by social media in their selection of fast fashion. Would getting social media influencers to encourage a move away from fast fashion be a better way to achieve your goals?’ |
| Make sure that in your extension you keep your texts and invitations as clean as possible. These brands will probably fight back or…maybe unite with you if your messages are compelling enough! |
| Perhaps an “Award of the Year” based on the criteria you all set. A giant publicity opportunity for the company that would give your group some lift and some momentum! |
| Define fast fashion |
| Explore additional ways to reach your audience. The people who would download this extension are likely already aware of the issues of fast fashion (at least partially), which is why they want to do something about it. Look for ways to reach the audience who is not yet aware of the problem. How can you get this new audience involved? |
| It would be great to have the option to see alternatives to purchasing fast fashion such as thrifting, upcycling clothing, and include some educational facts like the benefits, the cost savings, etc. |
| Interestingly enough, I heard about this fast fashion concept and impact on water usage this morning. It builds on awareness I already have about the sweat shops with unsafe working conditions, low wages etc. I do think it is an important ethical and societal issue; however, I am not in favour of installing computer extensions or popups. I also wonder if these brands would have legal issues with these popup warnings. Personally, I think general education and awareness of the issue is important. I would encourage you to find a method of education and awareness that is less risky/invasive on my personal computer. Example, I was not in favour of Donald Trump and found him offensive. For that reason, I made a personal choice to NEVER buy an items with the Ivanka Trump name no matter how much on sale they were. Now, I believe that brand is now defunct. |
| This project may be further developed by creating a monthly newsletter to ‘subscribers’. Articles could include improvements being made in fashion, major fast fashion culprits, brands to support (like one month could be 7 sneaker brands that are sustainable, the next month could be sweaters). I also think there is a lot of room for funding as the project expands AND you could look to leaders in the fashion industry to fund the project as a win:win relationship. |