Sammendrag
This master’s thesis in informatics: Design, Use, and Interactions, investigates the opportunities to affect consumerism and clothing thrown-away culture among young people. To deal with growing complexity of our environmental challenges, we must adopt new interdisciplinary perspectives to create more sustainable solutions. The fashion industry stands out as a significant culprit among the various industries contributing to environmental degradation. In this thesis, I explore how mobile interaction can impact the behaviour of consumers and second-hand shop owners, guiding them toward more sustainable practices concerning the use of second-hand clothing and making a good alternative to fast fashion that has contributed to the environmental challenges. The main research question that the thesis seeks to answer is: How can a second-hand store application be designed to engage both store owners and users, at the niche level, to increase sustainability in the fashion industry? To address this inquiry, a broad, holistic perspective framed by transition design and qualitative research employing interviews was utilized as a research approach. The study included five store owners from both Norway and Sweden as participants. These interviews took place over a three-month duration and followed a semi-structured format guided by an interview guide. Additionally, research through design approach was used to create a mobile phone application, using low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototyping. The selected methodologies for this thesis aimed to instigate change through innovative design approaches. Although researchers and designers have investigated this problem before, my solution integrates interaction and transition design, offering a fresh perspective. It includes features like event listings, local second-hand shop searches, and simplifying sustainable choices for consumers. Data collection and analysis, based on the experiences of store owners with this phenomenon, culminated in the development of this application. The project’s outcomes demonstrate that the application is user-friendly for consumers and store owners.