Over 2.5 million tons of textile waste are recycled in the U.S. annually, fueling a growing market projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2030. Yet, textile waste collectors face challenges finding recycling partners and rely on slow, manual transactions involving scattered emails, photos, and invoices.
My Responsibilities As Design Lead, I interviewed stakeholders from WM and LACI, ran competitive analyses, and benchmarked baseline behaviors to uncover pain points in textile waste exchange. I synthesized these insights and led a team of two junior designers and three engineers in designing and launching a functional MVP to drive initial engagement.
Collaborators
2 Designers 3 Engineers
Tools
🗑️Globally,92 million tons of textile wasteare generatedeach year...
... Less than 15% is recycled.
That’s enough textile waste to fill nearly 280 Empire State Buildings anually.
So, what's the problem?
Textile waste collectorsstruggle to find recycling partners and must rely on inefficient, manual processes to complete simple transactions.
What does this mean for FabricFeed?
1. There's market growth and demand for textile recycling.
2. The process of matching collectors with recyclers is broken—slow, disorganized, and not scalable.
3. This inefficiency prevents the industry from operating smoothly and growing at the pace it should.
Solution
FabricFeed is a networking platform built to improve discoverability and facilitate transactions between textile waste collectors and recyclers.
It helps users: 1. Find the right recycling partners 2.Share feedstock availability 3.Communicate efficiently
—All within one dedicated space.
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How I Approached the Problem
Lacking initial insight into the textile waste industry, we began with foundational research.
Through interviews, user personas and stories, and a competitive analysis, we uncovered how textile waste moves through the system, where user pain points lie, and what gaps exist in current solutions.
1. User Interviews & Surveys
2. User Personas
3. User Stories
4. Competitive Analysis
Moving into FabricFeed's Design Foundation
With a clear understanding of user needs and industry context, we moved into defining the product experience.
We developed a cohesive design system, crafted brand guidelines that reflect our values, and mapped out user flows to ensure a journey that resonated.
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Brand Identity & Voice I defined FabricFeed’s brand voice to reflect clarity, sustainability, and innovation. Our messaging focuses on simplifying textile waste transactions while promoting responsible, user-centered design.
Visual System & Design Foundation I built a cohesive design system, including brand guidelines, a nature-inspired color palette, logo rules, and intuitive typography. Components like buttons, icons, and navigation were crafted to ensure consistency and usability across the platform. User Flows & Experience Mapping I created user flows and journeys to align the team with real user needs. These mapped how recyclers and collectors discover, connect, and transact — forming the backbone of a seamless, purpose-driven platform.
FabricFeed's Design Direction: Wireframes
Based on my team's assessment of the industry's most pressing needs, we made sure our platform included:
Simple Recycling Partner Discoverability
A Robust Networking Hub
Easy Inventory Management
Given that finding recycling partners is extremely difficult for the textile industry,
we created a network discovery experience that would make it easy to search, find, and collaborate with nearby partners.
How might we encourage local discovery for textile waste collaboration?
When creating the wireframes for this marketplace, we reviewed multiple ways of presenting vital information for promoting textile waste partnerships in a concise, digestible way based on our initial interviews with potential users. Here are a few of our iterations below!
How might we streamline collaboration between textile waste collectors and textile recyclers?
Knowing that professionals in the textile waste industry mainly corresponded with each other through email, we wanted to centralize their methods of connecting, storing conversations, and exchanging important documents. Here are a couple of are iterations below!
How might we support textile waste professionals in managing their active feedstock and transactions?
In order to further support textile waste professionals, we started to brainstorm how they could use our platform as an all-in-one product. On top of our collaboration efforts, we wanted to present added value for internal operations.
FabricFeed's Design Direction: Prototyping the MVP
After receiving the green light from stakeholders and potential users on our wireframes and user flows, we moved into the iterative process of hi-fi designing.
Take a look at our final MVP walkthrough
Gathering Insights: Usability Testing the MVP
Collaborating closely with our advisory board and engaging potential users, this phase is a strategic restart of the design process. Through user and stakeholder interviews, we are not only seeking valuable insights but laying the groundwork for the next phase of FabricFeed's design evolution.
Reactions and Next Steps
63% increase in interesting investors
"Where was this 5 years ago?" - LACI Manger
Critique: Color contrast needs some work
MVP Feedback Integration Planning
In closing, FabricFeed's evolution has been deeply influenced by invaluable feedback from users and stakeholders. Our commitment to integrating this feedback is evident in the organized Confluence board, showcasing insights from usability tests. Moving beyond the scope of FabricFeed's MVP, we prioritize continuous refinement, ensuring alignment with user needs and stakeholder goals. This user-centric approach not only enhances the experience but also fosters engagement. As we evolve, feedback remains central, ensuring FabricFeed's relevance and resonance.
